


Only Memories Speak The Truth

by 22Bean22



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angst, Bang Chan & Seo Changbin are Best Friends, Blood, Eight is Fate, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Needs A Hug, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Happy ending (even if it takes a while to get there), Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Platonic Cuddling, Plot Twists, Romance, Sensory Overload, Slow Burn, Supernatural Elements, Suspense, Swearing, Team Bonding, Violence, all members and relationships will get equal attention, and they get it eventually it's alright, kinda intense oops, long boi, lots of platonic stuff too you bet, no deaths in skz, no order of importance, platonic ot8, please do read with knowledge of the warnings and be safe!, traumatic buddies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:22:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 152,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28734894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/22Bean22/pseuds/22Bean22
Summary: Chan never asked to survive the fire. Minho never asked to have every trusting relationship in his life destroyed. Changbin never asked to live, just that little longer than everyone else. Hyunjin never asked to spend his days terrified of his own senses. Jisung never asked to become a safety hazard to those he loved. Felix never asked to lose his best friend and his feeling of belonging. Seungmin never asked to feel weighted by his own abilities. And Jeongin never, ever asked to have that piece of metal in his hand.Yet every one of them did.And with all of their abilities, how was it that they felt so insignificant? And could that change once they were all brought together, by fate, or something more?
Relationships: Bang Chan/Lee Felix, Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Hwang Hyunjin/Seo Changbin, Kim Seungmin/Yang Jeongin | I.N, OT8 (platonic)
Comments: 172
Kudos: 280





	1. {1}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, and welcome! I won't be leaving notes at the beginning of chapters after this and it's not important to the fic at all, so feel free to skip over this if you're not interested :) 
> 
> I just want to apologize about going M.I.A on the chatfic! I just found it harder and harder to keep writing it with the absence of a member in real life, and in light of the recent comings out about him, I really wasn't keen to continue. I couldn't figure out a way to write him out, or continue without him, and so just let it die off... I am sorry about that. :c 
> 
> But I'm far too invested in Stray Kids and writing to leave this alone, and so here we are with a brand new, (very long) fic! I've already got it all planned out, and really cannot wait to begin, so I hope you enjoy it :D
> 
> Here we go!

_"You're kidding!"_

Jisung's voice broke as he cried out, taking multiple steps away from the microwave. His hands immediately began to tremble as he surveyed the chaos that was initiating; his mind short-circuited just as the appliance in front of him had, though hopefully with slightly less damage. 

There was a reason his parents never allowed him in the kitchen without them. 

"No, no, please no!" His gloves- where were his gloves? He always had to wear them, his mother said, but when he was playing the guitar he didn't have to because he couldn't differentiate between the strings and- 

Another cry made its way from the back of his throat as he rushed forwards, his initial shock finally giving way as he realised what was about to occur if he did not do anything. His fingers, pale and hesitant, reached out to touch the microwave. 

"Alright, Han Jisung, you've got this," he whispered quietly to himself, trying to ignore the scent of burning that was suddenly noticeable. "Just stay calm and turn it off, make it stop. You've got this." 

As it turned out, he did not 'got this' at all. 

The moment his hand made contact with the metal microwave, a shooting pain concentrated itself in the tips of his fingers - a pang he recognised to be incomparable to the little spark he would feel upon using his powers. He retracted them with a yelp, cursing loudly as the pain contracted into a mind-numbing throbbing. Through blurred eyes he glanced down to see his skin red and sore, unmistakably burnt. 

"Oh my god..." He whispered, a true panic beginning to settle in as he realised the predicament he had landed himself in. "Oh my god!" 

They had done so much to safe-proof the house to his powers. While he wasn't sure of exactly what, his parents had assured him time and time again that he had absolutely nothing to worry about, and that he would never lose control and hurt either of them. 

At least neither of them were home at the moment to witness the disaster unfold. 

All Jisung was aware of was the heat: the heat that came from his burned fingers in bursts; and the waves of hot air that were beginning to make their way over from the microwave. 

"You need to stop this," he told himself as he gulped down the pain, taking comfort in the sound of his own voice, albeit shaky. It felt as though every inch of his body was alert, an unique tingling emerging from the surface of his skin. The accident was all his fault, so therefore it was on him to fix what he had done. His parents would not be getting home until the morning, and given that it was approaching midnight, he had a while to get everything together. 

The logical side of him advised him to call for firefighters, but there was not a fire just yet, and so the less-logical side of Jisung told him that he could fix everything before it got too far out of hand. 

He steeled himself to the pain, his injured hand twitching as a result, and analysed the situation with a clearer mind. 

His parents had gone out for the night to celebrate their anniversary, and had left him in the house alone. He had stayed up late playing around on his guitar, writing down passing ideas that he managed to swipe from the cloud of inspiration which he always managed to conjure during the crazy hours. Having felt convinced he had come across a masterful lyrical idea, he had decided to treat himself to some microwaved lasagna to see in the midnight, but seemed to have managed to somehow short-circuit his own microwave, which shouldn't even have been possible and he was being careful the entire time- 

_No, Jisung, calm._

"Calm," he repeated aloud. "I am calm." 

Fighting down his growing panic when the heatwaves from the microwave continued to intensify, he racked his mind for possible solutions that didn't involve calling for help and losing any ounce of dignity he had left. He had already tried using his powers to turn off the microwave, or do something along those lines, and that had ended with five burnt fingertips. It seemed that his problem was less electricity, and more... 

"Heat!" Jisung exclaimed, feeling his face light up in a grin. "The gloves!" 

One precaution (which Jisung hated with a passion) that his parents had enforced to protect himself and those around him were the gloves. They were ugly, unfashionable, and made Jisung's hands itch, but he had worn them throughout his life because they did seem to work. If they didn't conduct electrical energy, surely they wouldn't be able to conduct heat energy either! 

Finally content that he had something to work with, Jisung hurried out of the kitchen. He took a large, thankful breath upon stepping into the hallway, having not realised beforehand how smoky the kitchen had become. 

His gloves would still be upstairs on his desk, where he had left them once he had sat down with his guitar. 

Feeling his entire body buzzing with adrenaline, Jisung vaulted up his stairs two at a time and crossed the hallway in a matter of seconds. With the newfound distance between himself and the microwave, the cooling air further allowed him to clear his mind. He savoured the calmness as he threw open the door to his bedroom, slamming his hand over the light switch on the adjacent wall as he did so. 

And that was when it truly all went wrong. 

Jisung felt a volt unlike anything he had ever experienced before, and it sent him stumbling into his room as a shiver of complaint ran down his spine. Breath passed his lips in a gasp as he grabbed onto the edge of his desk for support, wincing as his burnt fingers were forcibly slammed down against the hard surface. 

"Ow..." He hissed through gritted teeth, an unfamiliar exhaustion taking hold of every limb in his body. His eyes squeezed closed to try and battle the nausea which was beginning to rise from deep within him. It was as though all of his energy had been torn from him, leaving an aching, fatigued shell behind. 

Jisung's eyes snapped open with the dreadful realisation. 

_No... No, what have I done now?_

Despite his groaning muscles, he forced himself up from the slouched way he leant against his desk. The overwhelming heat from the kitchen had returned, though now even more intense, and Jisung could already feel himself breaking into a sweat. That also may have been from the utter terror that gripped him as soon as he laid his eyes on the doorway of his room. 

An angry glow seeped in from the hallway, which had been completely set aflame. The pungent scent of burning fabric wafted in, along with the steadily approaching fire, which licked at Jisung's wooden doorframe with a carnivorous hunger. It was impossible to see anything beyond the impassable wall of fire, but when squinting, Jisung could just about make out his mother's favourite patterned curtains being devoured by the flames. 

"How...?" His voice trembled. As soon as his mouth opened he felt the smoke entering his lungs, and gave a short cough before moving to cover the bottom part of his face with the hoodie which lay beside his gloves - now long forgotten - on his desk. "How did this happen?" 

His parents had completely safe-proofed the house so that nothing like this could ever possibly happen. Even if he wasn't wearing his gloves and tried using as much power as he possibly could, the most Jisung should ever have been able to do was create a small, harmless spark. 

A soft material brushed against his leg, and he whipped around to see that he had managed to back himself up against his bed. He glanced over his shoulder at the fire again, and quickly realised that there was absolutely no way he could possibly get past. 

"What do I do, what do I do?" He cried, beginning to extremely regret how he had decided against calling for help earlier, when there wasn't a _fire about to completely destroy him-_ "No, no, don't panic!"

He had to get out. That was the first step, and he could worry about what he could have- should have done differently once he got to safety. Which, judging by the current state of their hallway, was going to be easier said than done. 

Jisung took one extra, valuable second to calm his breathing, which was already ragged and thinner than it should have been due to the smoky air and hoodie covering his mouth and nose. His eyes wandered desperately across his room, hesitating occasionally on items, only to flicker away a moment later after deeming them useless to him. 

_This is the moment a phone would come in handy,_ he thought bitterly. His parents had never allowed him to have one, given the... potential hazard it could be. 

When Jisung's search proved useless, he felt the strangling panic begin to grow, so much so that he was about to let his hoodie go simply to take in a large, calming breath of air, before he remembered that the result would be far worse if he did. He blinked back the tears of hopelessness that began to blur his vision further, or perhaps that was the light-headedness kicking in from his lack of oxygen, he couldn't be sure. 

"Do something, Han, do something!" He whined to himself, begging his feet to move from where they had seemingly decided to glue themselves to the floor. With wide, fearful eyes he watched as the fire began to take hold of the legs of his desk closest to the door, beginning to lick at the wood and ravenously reach for lyric notebooks. 

The door- no, that entire side of the room wasn't an option. Jisung knew he had to escape; there was nothing he could do to stop the fire or protect himself from it. And so, his eyes landed on the only other exit: the window. 

He felt his heart drop as he realised what he had to do for any chance of survival. 

His feet finally decided to move, despite his hesitance being stronger than ever. He drew closer to his window and wondered numbly what his house must look like from the outside. The world on the other side of his window was peaceful, calm, the night blanketing the entirety of the small country lane on which he lived. He just wished to be out there in the quiet, where he could look up at the stars without a care in the world, lying on the grass and feeling the cool blades tickle his back, rather than the flames which continued to devour his home. 

Jisung steeled himself and brought his uninjured hand to the window, flipping the lock and pushing it open. A cold blast of wind hit him in the face, to which he responded by closing his eyes and opening his mouth to take in a gulp of fresh, unpolluted air. 

Something warm and wet trickled down the side of his face, and he tasted salt in his mouth. 

With a trembling surety, he eased himself out into the cold. His hoodie dropped lifelessly from his grip onto his bedroom floor behind him. The wind bit at him without mercy; his T-shirt and shorts did nothing to provide comfort against its chilling embrace. 

Now entirely exposed, he clung onto the windowsill on which he sat with a weakened grasp, both from the pain in his hand and the lack of energy left in his body from the usage of his powers.

_I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to..._

His house wasn't particularly tall. If he was extremely lucky, perhaps, he would survive the fall with a few broken bones. If he was having normal luck, then he might break something serious and never be able to walk again. And if he wasn't lucky... 

Jisung bit down on his lip to suppress the sob that was threatening to burst from deep within him, and tightened his grip impossibly. 

_How could this happen?_ He repeated to himself. _Why would this happen?_ _Why was I born like this? Why to me?_

The shivers had now overtaken his entire body, and he could barely keep himself on the ledge for a moment longer. Perhaps he always should have known how things would end, as soon as that first little spark had left his finger when he was seven, and there had been a power outage which lasted for three hours throughout their entire house. Perhaps it was just a matter of time - he had always been a simple time bomb, ticking, ticking, waiting to explode. 

Ticking... ticking... 

Jisung took one final breath and closed his eyes. He felt the wind on his face, the solidity beneath his fingers, the heat growing nearer- 

He let himself fall. 

Any ounce of calmness which he had managed to obtain vanished the second his secure seat on the window ledge did. As soon as his body became weightless Jisung was reaching out desperately. He had to grab hold of something - he had to stop himself! 

And then, somehow, he seemed to. 

At least, the sickening plummeting came to a halt. His body, which previously felt as though it had been falling through the air with about as much grace as a ragdoll, had been locked in an extremely awkward position, with his arms raised to try to shield his head, and kneels curled unconsciously towards his chest. 

The rushing wind in his ears ceased to exist, and an obscure stillness had settled over the world. He couldn't hear anything other than a distinct ringing, and couldn't feel anything other than the continuous ache of his burnt fingers.

The first thing that came to Jisung's mind was that he was dead. He must have fallen, hit his head and died, and now he was wherever came next. That thought was briskly ruled out by the erratic beating of his heart, seemingly the only part of him which was able to move. Even his eyes, which had been squeezed shut in preparation for his fall, refused to open. 

Jisung felt a new, different form of panic take over his mind. If this really was death, it was absolutely terrifying. He didn't want to spend the rest of eternity being able to feel nothing, hear nothing, do nothing, see nothing- 

"Hey, buddy. You're gonna be alright, I've got you." 

A voice cut through Jisung's frantic thoughts, like a simple droplet of water hitting an untouched surface to send ripples of sudden calm throughout his being. He strained his ears, desperate to hear the voice again, but was greeted with the same eerie silence. 

He was about to begin fretting once again when a pair of strong, confident arms wrapped themselves around him and brought his curled form downwards. 

Jisung could feel the exact moment he was no longer suspended in the air, as the presence of the voice and the arms suddenly seemed to be everywhere. It was all he wanted to do to open his eyes, but no matter how hard he attempted to pry them open, they refused to cooperate, much as his legs had when he first noticed the fire spreading throughout his house. 

_The fire!_ He remembered with a start, having somehow managed to forget about it momentarily with the sheer obscurity of what was happening. _The house- what's happening with the house?_

It had only been seconds, yet Jisung felt as though he had been trapped in the surreal sense of limbo for hours. 

So, when finally he felt his ability to move return to him in a sudden wave of force, the first thing Jisung did was kick out with his legs. The person who had been carrying him cursed and dropped him, rather unceremoniously, onto the ground. His eyes snapped open as he gasped, taking in his first gulp of entirely clean, smokeless air for what seemed like years. 

He forced himself into a kneeling position from where he had crumpled onto the floor- grass, he realised with a start. He was kneeling on fresh, dewy grass.

"Oh my god," he mumbled, wincing at how his throat ached. He was alive! His two hands, one throbbing with a euphoric pain, and the other still trembling with adrenaline, reached out to grasp the plantation before him, relishing how the blades curled around his grip. "Oh my god..." 

He was alive! But how...? 

The momentary joy he felt at his unexpected survival was completely obliterated as the memories of the past few minutes crashed back down to him. Minutes? 

"...Any others?" 

It felt as though he had been inside that house for hours, battling with his inner thoughts as to how to survive. Had it really just been minutes? 

"Are... alone?" 

Jisung only realised that someone was talking when a firm hand placed itself on his shoulder, and another one came to direct his face from the ground with a contrasting gentleness. 

He found himself looking into a pair of dark eyes, slightly hidden by a mop of light curls. They shone with a warmth which comforted Jisung to his very core, and calmed him enough to be able to get out a single word. 

"Sorry?"

The person in front of his let out a small breath, the corners of his mouth twisting up into a little smile of gratitude. It was as if the person was proud of Jisung for even managing to respond, which made Jisung want to do so much more. 

"Can you hear me?" The stranger said, his voice reaching Jisung's ears with a newfound clarity. When Jisung gave a small nod of confirmation, he continued, "Was there anyone else in that house with you?" 

_The house..._

"No," Jisung managed, his tone wavering. He tried to repeat it with more confidence when he noticed the flicker of doubt in the other's eyes. "No, it was just me at home tonight." 

He tried to return the beaming smile that the stranger sent him a second later, but was painfully aware that it looked far more like a grimace. Either way, the other person seemed a lot happier upon hearing Jisung's words. 

"Good, that's good," the stranger breathed in relief, his hand on Jisung's shoulder loosening as he seemed to lose some of his urgency. "I know it's probably super hard to think clearly right now, but can you remember where the fire originated from?" 

Jisung's mind whirled as he tried to keep up with the questions. He felt slightly embarrassed by his incapability to answer, but the patient stare he was fixated beneath helped him navigate through the muddled thoughts to finally reach his answer. 

"I... I remember. It all started at the microwave, I think, or..." He frowned as he remembered the intense spark from upstairs. "Or a light switch upstairs, just at the end of the hallway outside my room..." 

"A microwave...?" The other repeated, his voice conveying the disbelief which Jisung felt regarding the entire situation. He wanted to scoff and respond 'tell me about it,' but found that he wasn't quite in the shape to try and make light of the situation as he was. "Alright, thanks!" 

He almost missed the final two words the stranger uttered, but was forced to repeat them in his mind when there was a sudden emptiness in front of him. The person had disappeared, and Jisung immediately found himself missing the comforting presence that he took with him. He continued to stare at the ground, watching as the orange light from behind painted the grass around him in an autumn glow, as if the blades themselves were tiny flames rising from the ground. 

He didn't particularly want to turn and see the wreckage that he was sure he would, but knew that he couldn't hide from what he had done. 

And so Jisung turned and gazed upon the remnants of his old house. 

The flames completely dominated the darkness of the small country lane. Waves of firelight being produced lapped at the ground, dimming for a moment only to pipe up with even more vigor than before. His house was a victim of it all, the bricks contrasting the fire in a way that gave the building the appearance of being horribly burnt to the point of being black - and perhaps it really was, Jisung couldn't be sure. However, what he was sure of was the silhouette of a person vanishing right into the flames, their curly blond hair being buffeted slightly by the wind. 

"Wait, wait!" Jisung cried out, his throat complaining at the sudden volume. He rose shakily to his feet and stumbled forwards, paralysing worry for the stranger overcoming any remaining logic that he held onto. "You can't go in there, it-"

"He'll be fine," a voice cut in, and Jisung stopped immediately as he recognised it. Though it sounded far tenser than it had just moments ago, the deep, rough texture was unforgettable, especially when its words continued to ring throughout Jisung's mind. 

_'You're gonna be alright. I've got you.'_

"You!" Jisung exclaimed, tearing his eyes away from the doorway in which the blond had disappeared through. He searched the darkness for the source of the voice, and found himself staring at another male around his age. The person was slightly shorter than Jisung, though Jisung didn't doubt for a moment that he was strong. He had dark hair which gleamed in response to the fire, and a frown on his face with enough tension that Jisung felt the small ounce of comfort he had gained from the blond begin to seep away. Nonetheless, he couldn't stop himself from uttering the following words, "You saved me." 

The person next to him faltered and shot Jisung a fleeting glance. All he was able to gather was a fearful glint in the other's sharp eyes before it was cooled to an indifference. Jisung wondered what on earth this person had to be afraid of. He wasn't the one who had just managed to burn down his home, after all. 

When it became obvious that the other was not going to respond, Jisung moved to say something else. Before he could, however, he grew aware of the light in the area gradually dimming, as if the fire was losing its strength. But it had looked so powerful moments ago... 

Jisung turned back to his home, and found his mouth drop open at what he saw. 

The flames, which had previously completely overtaken the house, were now flickering out of existence as if someone had poured a huge bucket of cold water over the entire building. They were gone within seconds, without so much as a sputter. 

"What?" Jisung muttered in disbelief, blinking his eyes repeatedly. Perhaps he had died, and this was all some crazy simulation of what was going to happen afterwards, and these two people were two messengers who were going to take him to heaven, or hell, or- 

His thoughts came to a screeching halt as a figure emerged from his front door. 

The blond stranger stepped out into the night, looking completely unfazed by the ruined house behind him. He even gave a small smile when he caught sight of Jisung and the other person, his eyes upholding the friendly and kind glimmer that had drawn Jisung in when he first glimpsed them. 

"All sorted!" He announced with an almost proud air as he strolled over. Jisung gawked at his unharmed form, taking in his spotless clothes and unburnt limbs, to which his own fingertips throbbed with jealousy. 

"Not so loud, Chan," the smaller one spoke in the same tense growl he had used to addressed Jisung. Jisung wished that he would pick up the softer tone which he had used when he had... done whatever he had as Jisung fell, but couldn't even begin to muster the strength to ask. 

'Chan,' who Jisung assumed was the blond, shot his friend a glance which Jisung couldn't interpret, before his warm gaze settled on Jisung again. 

"Is there anyone we can call to help you?" Chan asked, his voice clear and helping to root Jisung as he struggled with the shock which still coursed through his system. "Parents, friends, neighbours? We didn't see anyone around on the way here." 

"I..." Jisung didn't have any friends. He wished that he did, but given his parents had not allowed him to go to school or have a phone of his own, and he had never really left the small lane on which he lived, he had never found anyone to befriend. His neighbours were kind enough, but they shouldn't be the first to witness what he had done. And his parents... "My parents... I don't know what to do; they'll be so disappointed in me!" 

All they had ever done was try to help him by figuring out ways for him to keep himself safe from his powers. He wasn't allowed in the kitchen, he was to keep his gloves on whenever he was not playing the guitar. And he had failed them, burning down their entire house while he was at it. 

The weight of how much had been lost suddenly crashed down on Jisung. He had been so caught up in the adrenaline of fighting for his life, to meeting two extremely unusual new people who had simultaneously saved his life and complicated it, that he hadn't actually come to terms with what it all meant for his family. 

_They'll never want to see me again..._

"Oh god, Chan," the smaller one - Jisung was still yet to know his name - groaned. He raked a hand through his dark hair, and Jisung could just about make out the panic glinting in his eyes before he turned fully to Chan. "We've been out for what, six hours? And already a citizen knows! We're going to be brought back in, we're never going to be let out again-" 

"Calm down, Binnie. I made a promise, didn't I?" Chan interrupted softly, fixing the other with a look of understanding so deep that Jisung wondered what on earth the two were thinking of. He turned and felt himself stiffen beneath the intensity of Chan's stare. There was something hidden beneath the warmth of his eyes, something Jisung recognised easily having felt it just moments earlier: desperation. "And I'm sure that... as thanks for what we did, our friend wouldn't say anything about what he saw us do tonight. Right?" 

Jisung swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded frantically. The mere idea of having Chan's gaze anything other than friendly was absolutely terrifying - almost as much as the fire had been. 

"I promise I won't!" He said earnestly, bringing a hand up to place against his chest. That had been a mistake. 

As soon as he moved his fingers a shooting pain coursed through them, reminding him of the burns which he had sustained. He winced and brought them down immediately, cradling them against his chest. 

"Hey, what's wrong?" Chan's voice was laced with concern as he stepped closer, and Jisung sheepishly held up his fingers for Chan, and the other, 'Binnie' to take a look at. Chan's gaze softened even more. "Ah... That looks nasty."

"Burned them on the microwave," Jisung laughed softly, though he felt his voice wobble as he did so, and begged himself not to cry for the second time that night. Though he knew the circumstances probably excused him for being slightly over-emotional, he didn't want to give the other two anything else to worry about, especially as he could practically feel the urgency to leave resonating from the smaller one's form. 

"Now how did you manage that?" Chan gave a small grin of his own, and Jisung was astonished by how the other seemed to be able to tease in such an unusual situation, about such an unusual injury, and pass it off as being nothing at all. "May I?" 

Jisung hesitated for a moment, before realising that Chan was referring to his burn. He nodded cautiously, allowing the blond to take his hand in his own, and instantly felt a cool relief seeping through his fingers. 

"Woah..." Jisung couldn't help but whisper, feeling the tension seep from his muscles as the searing pain was reduced to a dull throbbing. "What are you... How are you...?" 

"Oh, wow," Binnie quipped, his voice taut. "Of course, we showcase our powers off to a civilian, something we are banned from doing, and then you decide that it would be a good idea to _showcase them even more._ "

"Don't mind Changbin there, he's catty around new people," Chan whispered quietly, his grin curling into a teasing smirk as Changbin let out a small 'oi!' Heat rose to Jisung's face as he realised the name 'Binnie' which he had been using had actually been a nickname of sorts, and cleared his throat to try and expel the thought from his mind. "I'm Chan, by the way." 

Jisung felt a light wave of relief that he hadn't been mentally referring to the blond as a personal nickname. He gave a fleeting smile of gratitude as Chan guided him down to sit on the ground, maintaining his heavenly cool grasp on Jisung's burnt hand. 

"I'm Jisung," he said quietly, looking anywhere that wasn't the destroyed remnants of his home. "I would say that it's nice to meet you, but..." 

Chan gave a small, sympathetic smile that made Jisung want to burst into tears on the spot. He didn't deserve any of their kindness, especially after the catastrophic mistake he had managed to make. The entire situation still felt bizarre to him as he repeated the happenings over in his mind, despite the bitter taste that filled his mouth as he remembered the sheer terror that had gripped him. 

Jisung fought to find something to distract himself with, and so he glanced up to where Changbin stood somewhat awkwardly to the side. His assertive gaze was focused on the lane, his posture reminding Jisung of a wild animal which was about to flee. 

"My neighbours are all pretty old, so all of them will be fast asleep. You guys are safe, I swear," he said before he could stop himself. Changbin seemed to hesitate for a moment - it was hard for Jisung to see the other's facial expression from where he sat beside Chan - but after a second Changbin was lowering himself to the ground on Jisung's other side. 

With their presence weighing heavily on either side of him, Jisung decided to recount everything that had happened from the moment he let himself drop off the window sill. He recalled the surreal sense of floating, and how he had been unable to move any of his limbs. Changbin's sure voice echoed through his head, followed by the gentle touch of Chan's hand on his face. 

_How can his hands be so cold now?_ Jisung wondered to himself, allowing a quick gaze down to their interlocked fingers. _He just stepped into a burning house too._

_He stepped into a burning house._

There was something extremely odd about the pair, and Jisung couldn't quite put his finger on it. Obviously he had witnessed Chan do the impossible, and while he hadn't been able to see anything while Changbin was carrying him, he knew that the other had something to do with what had happened, and how time itself seemed to have stopped. 

He wasn't sure of what possessed him to say what he did next. Perhaps it was the ever-comforting presence of Chan at his side, his cooling grip providing indescribable relief to Jisung's burn, or perhaps it was the solid figure of Changbin sitting his to his right, hands absently picking at the blades of grass beneath them. Or, perhaps, it was that he simply had nothing to lose anymore. 

"I started the fire." 

Chan tensed immediately at Jisung's quiet yet weighted announcement, and he heard the blond take a sharp breath. Out of the corner of his eye Jisung saw Changbin glance up, his interest in the grass seeming to be completely forgotten. Jisung didn't want to meet either of their gazes; he was too afraid of what he might see. 

"I didn't mean to..." he continued instead, focusing determinedly on a spot on the ground in front of him. "It wasn't supposed to happen at all. My parents had safe-proofed our house completely, they said, so that I would never be able to damage anything. They even gave me gloves to wear as insulation, but I guess a bunch of things just had to go wrong tonight." 

He grimaced, feeling a sudden anger towards the universe for what had happened. Why did he have to be born with such abilities, and why did everything have to go wrong? Why couldn't he just live a normal, happy life? 

"My... my parents, they said that..." Jisung stumbled over his words, almost forgetting the presence of the other two as he struggled to come to terms with the event. "They said that no matter how much power I used, if I lost control or not, I would never do anything like this. They said there wouldn't even be a _spark._ "

"'Power?'" Changbin repeated from his right, reminding Jisung that he wasn't alone. Chan, who had begun to gently stroke a thumb over Jisung's palm upon seeing how distressed he was becoming, had grown eerily still. 

"What do you mean by 'power,' Sung?" 

Despite the strange tone Chan's voice had suddenly taken on, Jisung found himself being propelled to continue upon hearing the new nickname that he had just been addressed as. He'd never had a nickname before. Chan seemed to like using them, so perhaps that meant he was trustworthy, a nice person, who wouldn't hand Jisung over to any authorities if he knew- 

"I'm not normal," Jisung said, surprising even himself by how confident he sounded. "I don't really know how to describe it, but ever since I was young I've just buzzed with this _energy._ I could make little sparks, turn on lights by just touching them, accidentally cause power outages throughout our house. Like I'm some kind of walking, talking battery or something." 

He had never described his ability aloud before, and couldn't even begin to imagine how unbelievable he sounded. Yet somehow he felt himself growing worried by the silence that greeted his words. Despite only knowing Chan and Changbin for minutes, he felt attached to them in a way that he couldn't quite describe. 

So, he quickly tried to clear it up with them in any way he could, just to hear their voices again. 

"I know it sounds crazy, really, but-" 

"It doesn't, actually," Chan cut him off, though not rudely. Jisung gulped and glanced up from the patch of grass he had been observing to meet Chan's gaze. Where he expected to find contempt, disbelief and paranoia, he only found an understanding so sincere that it threatened to choke him. "You have... no idea how not-crazy that sounds." 

"R-Really?" 

"Really," Chan breathed. His smile was gone, yet Jisung didn't feel intimidated. Where there had once been a friendly yet slightly guarded grin, there was an open look of surprise and something else: wonder. Jisung had never been looked at like that before. 

"You said the microwave, right?" A thoughtful voice piped up from Jisung's other side. He was forced to break eye-contact with Chan and glanced at Changbin instead. Every ounce of tension had vanished from the other's voice, and he regarded Jisung with a gaze of pure curiosity instead. "Let me guess, you weren't wearing your gloves and accidentally just... blew the thing?" 

Jisung's breath hitched as he whipped his head between the two, carefully checking their expressions for any sign of distrust or disbelief. He found nothing. 

"You guys... you believe me?" 

"Sure do," Chan answered, his grip on Jisung's hand tightening. His eyes had glazed over, and he seemed to be entirely lost in his own thoughts. "We never thought we'd find another one, especially not with how closely we're all monitored." 

"Who? Who's being monitored?" 

Jisung's question seemed to break Chan out of his momentary trance, and his eyes refocused as he bit down on his lower lip and frowned. Jisung could recognise the look of indecisiveness with ease. 

He shot a glance over his shoulder in Changbin's direction to try and get a hint out of him as to why Chan suddenly seemed stumped for what to do. Instead of the definitive answer he was hoping for, he was only met with the same uncertainty; Changbin's gaze flitted between the two of them anxiously.

"Alright, Sung," Chan said slowly, bringing Jisung's attention back to him. His eyes held a seriousness that caused Jisung's stomach to drop. "I know that this entire evening has been absolutely insane for you, and that this might be the last thing that you want to consider but... I'm giving you the option to come with us." 

Jisung felt as though the entire world had come to a screeching halt around him once again, but Changbin hadn't done anything, he could still feel Chan's thumb rubbing soothing circles into his palm. 

"Come again?" He whispered, his face going slack in his surprise. Had he misheard Chan? Maybe he had accidentally rammed an elbow into his head as he fell, or he had inhaled too much smoke before getting out of the house and his brain was a little mushed- 

"You can come with us, if you want," Chan repeated patiently, the earnest look in his gaze remaining as Jisung fought to not look away. "If not, you can go wake up one of your neighbours and get their help, but you have to forget about us if you do. Never mention us to anyone else, do you understand?" 

Jisung did, truly. He suddenly felt such a bond to the pair, a bond which he previously had resigned himself to never share with anyone before. His life so far had been composed of a quiet house, a significant lack of enjoyable hobbies other than that of his guitar - which had been burned in the fire - and living in constant fear of his powers. He had lived in the fear of what they could do to him and to his family, but also what they meant for him if someone else was to find out, because he just wasn't _normal._

And these two weren't either. 

A calmness settled over Jisung. It was different to that which accompanied Chan's touch and Changbin's voice, and rather seemed to originate from deep within himself. Finally... he was sure of something. 

There was nothing for him at his home anymore. It had been entirely burned to the ground by his own hand, whether he was extremely unlucky or not. With two people that finally understood him, he might be able to learn to control them so that he didn't have to live with nothing but worried 'what if's.' And his parents wouldn't have to live like that, either. 

"I'll come with you."

Chan gave him the widest, most delighted smile that Jisung could have imagined. There wasn't an ounce of guardedness between the two anymore as the blond gave Jisung's hand an encouraging squeeze. He stood, tugging Jisung to his feet along with him. 

"Great!" Changbin exclaimed, a wonderfully familiar softness returning to his voice. Jisung glanced down at him as he jumped up and stretched, shooting Jisung an unfamiliarly friendly grin as he did so. "I'm desperate to get out of here before someone sees the wreckage. Let's go, troupes!" 

Jisung's mouth dropped open at the sudden change of character. Changbin had seemed to want to be as far away from him as possible just minutes ago, and now was acting as though they had been friends for years. 

Not to mention how oddly... alright Jisung felt with all of it. He had burned down his house, and now was about to run off with two strangers, perhaps never to see home again. A small pang of longing for his parents shot through his heart, but he dismissed it as he reminded himself of how much happier and safer they would be without him. 

_This is the best decision for all of us,_ he told himself as Chan slung an arm around his shoulder, guiding him in the direction of a little pile of bags that had been left at the side of the road. 

Changbin walked a short distance ahead of them and picked up three of the bags, affirming Jisung's guess that his size didn't handicap his strength at all. When he caught Jisung's stare and gave a wink, Jisung realised that perhaps Changbin quite enjoyed flaunting it. 

"So, uh..." He coughed to try and break the silence as Chan left his side to pick up the other two bags that were left. "Where are we going?" 

Chan straightened and responded, "Binnie and I were aiming to get to a bunker not too far from here by dawn, but I'm guessing you're feeling pretty exhausted so we can stop and sleep for the rest of the night. Once we've got a little bit away from your house, at least."

Jisung followed them as they began to walk, pushing his legs to move at their pace so his exhaustion wasn't too obvious. Having made the decision, he wanted to get as far away from the ruins of his old home as possible. He didn't look back. 

"Please don't worry about me!" He rushed out, forcing himself into a short jog to catch up to the other two. "I'll be fine, honestly! Don't change your plans around for me." 

"You look dead on your feet, Sungie," Changbin shot back at him playfully as they went off-road, surprising Jisung with the nickname just as Chan had. "Besides, I'd kinda welcome a break. Chan's been making us walk for _hours_ and I am pretty tired after the stunt I pulled back at your place." 

"Oh yeah!" Jisung exclaimed, leaping on the sudden friendliness as an opportunity to figure out what exactly had happened. "What was that? And Chan, why did you just stroll into my house like it wasn't on fire? I mean, your hand was super cool afterwards when you touched my burn, and that just doesn't make sense!" 

Chan laughed heartily at Jisung's rambling, shooting him a fond smile. Jisung was astonished at how he had been welcomed with such open arms - quite literally - and how at home he felt in less than an hour of knowing his new friends. 

'Friends.' They were his friends. 

"Glad to see you coming out of your shell a little!" Chan's warm voice broke him out of his thoughts. "You were so quiet earlier. I was wondering if we had scared you or if you were just shy." 

"A bit of both, I guess?" 

Chan chuckled, "And I can see why. Now, in answer to your question... I suppose you could say we're like you. You're like us."

Jisung stayed silent to allow him to elaborate, but watched as Chan's gaze focused on Changbin instead, seeming to will the smaller one to go first. 

"Well, uh..." Changbin grinned bashfully, and Jisung realised the difference in how his two new friends smiled. While Chan's smiles were filled with warmth and kindness, Changbin's had a slightly childish cheekiness to them that Jisung could tell had connotations with mischief. "I don't really know how to describe my stuff. I can make time stop, I guess."

"Oh come on, Bin!" Chan cried out with fake annoyance. "Ya gotta give us more than that!"

Jisung was thankful for the blond's words, as he had already experienced first-hand what Changbin's abilities were. He was more interested in how they worked, why they worked... everything about them, effectively. 

"Alright fine!" Changbin shot back equally playfully. "I can stop time for five seconds in a radius of ten meters. Only once every twenty four hours though or I am _completely_ knocked out." 

"He's not kidding," Chan added, shooting Jisung a knowing smirk. "One time, a couple years back, he'd already used his powers once in training... Then when we got back to our dorm he accidentally dropped his cup of lemonade and ended up freezing time again to stop it from falling. I ended up with a smashed cup, spilled lemonade and passed-out Changbin to deal with-"

"That's enough of that! Channie, why don't you introduce yourself?" Changbin butted in loudly with fake sweetness. Jisung couldn't help the small burst of laughter that rose up from him as he watched their antics. Just to think that he might have the chance to make such memories with them filled him with an excitement that he had never felt before. 

He turned expectantly to Chan, who paused for a moment before answering, "I can manipulate heat, I guess? If I come in contact with something warm enough, I'm able to either make it hotter or cool it, all the while not getting burnt at all myself! Comes in really handy for cooking." 

"Oh... I see," Jisung responded quietly. So that was how the flames had diminished within seconds of Chan stepping into his house, and why he had asked for the source of the heat. Both Chan and Changbin seemed so comfortable with their powers, so certain of what they were and what they allowed them to do. Jisung, on the other hand, barely had a clue of what his entailed, and didn't even trust himself enough to be without his gloves for more than an hour. 

_My gloves..._

He hadn't thought of them even once since leaving his house! 

Chan seemed to pick up on Jisung's sudden realisation, as a moment later Jisung realised that they were coming to a halt, and Chan was fixing him under that familiar patient gaze. 

"What's up, Sungie? You look like you've forgotten something." 

"There's not exactly anything we can salvage," Changbin added, earning a poke in the ribs from Chan in order to silence him. Jisung gave a small laugh to let the blond know that he wasn't upset before responding. 

"Yeah... I don't have my gloves. I wouldn't want to accidentally electrocute you guys or something," he confessed, grimacing as he realised how it sounded. Perhaps they would abandon him in the middle of the fields they had been trekking through when they realised what a hazard he was to them. 

Instead, Chan shook his head and gave a small laugh while Changbin raised an incredulous eyebrow in Jisung's direction as they resumed their walking. 

"You seriously think we'd abandon you after all of this?" He muttered, his rough voice coated with amusement. 

"I mean," Jisung laughed nervously, "You guys have known me for like... thirty minutes, max. There's not a lot of 'all this.'" 

"We saved you from your burning house," Changbin countered. Chan shot Jisung an apologetic glance, but did little to stop the smaller as he continued. "And you have abilities too. It's fine, really." 

"And in terms of your worry about the powers," Chan added, "That's also completely fine. If you feel like anything's about to happen, just tell Binnie and he'll stop time or something."

Jisung frowned, recalling what they had said just moments before about their own limits. He had felt the tugging exhaustion of letting too much of his power go at once - and could still feel it weighing on his limbs as he walked. 

"Didn't you say you can't do it too much?" He voiced his concern, shooting Changbin a look only to see that the other hadn't even batted an eyelash at what Chan had said. 

"It's fine," he dismissed as he shrugged. "I'll probably just pass out, no biggie. If it means I can finally get some sleep I would welcome it."

Before Jisung could respond that actually, it was a bit of a 'biggie,’ Chan spoke up, "Speaking of sleep... I'd say this is a pretty good spot to settle down for the night, wouldn't you?" 

Jisung paused and glanced around. They had stopped at the edge of a field quite a way away from the road, which was already quite a distance from Jisung's house. Large trees loomed up from a forest behind them, providing shade that felt like a concealing blanket from the rest of the world. 

It was enough to make Jisung forget about the worry which still weighed down on his mind, and instead watch with a calm serenity as his friends let the bags slip from their bodies and onto the ground. Changbin bent down to two which were shaped like badly-wrapped cylinders and passed one over to Chan, before loosening the strings that tied his own and bringing out the large sleeping bag from inside. 

"Here you go!" Chan said happily, nodding down to the sleeping bag he had just unfolded himself and set down on the ground. "It won't be the comfiest but hopefully we'll only be sleeping out here for one night before we get to the bunker." 

It took Jisung several seconds to realise that he was the one being spoken to.

"Oh wait, that's for me?" He squeaked, pointing down at the sleeping bag with an uninjured finger. 

Chan nodded and took a step back, his arms crossed with satisfaction as he watched Jisung approach it cautiously. Realistically Jisung knew that it was just a perfectly normal sleeping bag, like the ones he had seen in camping movies, but he had never actually slept in one before. Changbin was settling into his own sleeping bag just beside them, letting out a loud sigh of relief as he cocooned himself. 

Jisung watched the smaller silently for a moment before glancing up at Chan. "Are you two sharing?"

"Ew, no!" Changbin was the one who answered, spreading himself out as if to try and take up every ounce of space he good. "Chan's too warm! I literally can't sleep next to him without almost drowning in my own sweat."

" _That's_ ew you brat," Chan retaliated, though Jisung could hear the smile in his voice as he crossed over and gave the lumped outline of Changbin a playful kick. "Actually, Sungie, I'll be taking first lookout. Then I'll wake up Changbin here and get him to pull his weight and take a shift too."

Changbin whined loudly and buried himself further into the sleeping bag. Jisung felt pity fill him at the sight, and was quick to try and allow his friend to get the rest he deserved. 

"I can take one if you want! I'm not that tired-"

"Uh, no," Changbin interrupted, his face poking up for a moment to fix Jisung under a knowing stare. "What kind of person would I be if I made the newbie take my shift?" 

"Seriously Sungie, it's fine," Chan added with significantly more gentleness and a soft smile to match. "I know that you probably have lots of questions you want us to answer, and I promise that we will in due time. But for now just get the best rest you can and let Binnie and I take care of you." 

Jisung was about to respond when he became aware of some loud breathing from his side. He blinked and glanced over his shoulder to watch the steady rise and fall of Changbin's curled form in his sleeping bag. 

_He's already asleep?_

Chan had settled himself against a large tree trunk behind them, and seemed to be content just to gaze out across the open plains. So Jisung lowered himself to the ground, bringing his aching limbs into the safe containment of the sleeping bag. 

He lay in the peaceful silence, broken only by the occasional far-off sound of a car engine as it passed down the otherwise deserted road. He would have assumed that it would have been impossible to fall asleep given what had happened and how his life had gone from being utterly eventless to... whatever it was now. And that should have been a cause for concern too; he still had no idea what it was that Chan and Changbin were doing. 

But for some reason, he felt himself drifting off all the same, the throbbing of his fingers no longer a bother and his body devoid of charge. 

"Thank you for bringing me with you, Channie," he murmured quietly, but was not awake for long enough to hear if he received a response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we are! Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have a good day! See you next chapter :) 
> 
> And please feel free to contact me on Twitter @beanwillstay
> 
> <3


	2. {2}

_His mind was alight._

_There was so much fire: fire consumed his arm; fire tore throughout the kitchen; the world was nothing but fire. His parents were there and they were reaching for him, crying out for him, yet he was nothing but a flame. They shouldn't touch him. It would only hurt them._

"Chan?"

_Why didn't it hurt? They were in pain - the fire was damaging them, so why did it not hurt him? It was all over him, yet it didn't hurt, why didn't it hurt, why was he special, why-_

"Shit, Chan-" 

_"Chris! Please stop, calm down, we-" His parents were completely consumed._

"Calm down, please just-"

_What had he done?_

Chan startled awake with a short gasp. The sky was a flawless blur of orange above him, broken only by the occasional wisp of cloud. He could hear the distant engines of cars and morning birdsong. A cold drop of sweat trickled down his back, which he recognised to be buzzing with heat. Squeezing his eyes shut for a moment, he forced himself to neutralise his body temperature. 

It had been a while since the memories had been so vivid. Chan had felt as though he actually been there in his house again; he had been able to feel every ounce of power coursing through his body, and had felt every emotion as if he was eight again. 

"You back with me?" A small voice spoke from his side, though even in its quietness it was enough to bring Chan's thoughts crashing back into the present. 

"Oh my god, Bin," he gasped, any lingering fatigue evaporating from his body as he propped himself up to search desperately for his friend. "Did I hurt you? Please tell me I didn't-" 

"You're fine," Changbin answered with a quiet maturity that Chan clung onto in the aftermath of his nightmare. "I'm fine, see? Sungie's fine as well. Nothing happened."

Chan brought a trembling hand up to rub his eyes, clearing away the bleariness before finally focusing his gaze on his surroundings. 

Changbin was crouched to his left, a concerned frown fixated on his face as he watched Chan regain his awareness. He had one hand outstretched as if he had ben reaching for Chan's shoulder, and Chan realised with a small twinge of shame that he was wearing one of the flame-proof gloves they had packed with them for their journey. He had hoped to never have to see one of them again - long ago had he abandoned the need to use one. It had been why he hadn't mentioned it to Jisung; the best route to learning to control one's abilities was not to imprison them. 

Jisung... Chan glanced in the direction of the other sleeping bag which Jisung had settled into the night before. He could just about make out a messy mop of dark brown hair, and gave a small sigh of relief that at least Jisung hadn't seen his little scare. 

He should have expected it. After witnessing what he had, it wasn't really a surprise that memories of that night had come rushing back with such force, yet Chan couldn't help but feel disappointed in himself. He was supposed to take care of Changbin while they were out, and now had Jisung to look after too. Spending time reminiscing and having his own inner turmoil was not an option. 

On the bright side, Jisung hadn't seemed to realise much was the matter as they had travelled. In fact, Chan had been astonished by just how trusting and comfortable the other had been within minutes of their meeting. Jisung himself had seemed slightly shocked by it too, but Chan had been delighted, not to mention coming across another person with abilities. He only hoped that he could keep Jisung safe, considering all those he had failed in the past, and- 

"Channie?" 

Chan gave a small noise of acknowledgement but didn't meet his friend's gaze, which he could tell was searching him desperately. 

"Can I hug you?" 

That made Chan look up, albeit with slightly less dignity than he would have wished. He was sure that he looked absolutely awful, with his hair a mess and his complexion pale from his scare, yet Changbin didn't seem to mind a bit. The fire-proof glove had been stored away again, and Chan wondered when that had happened. 

His thoughts caught up to him gradually and he remembered Changbin's question. Slowly, he nodded, and allowed the smaller to come closer. 

Despite what he had said before going to sleep last night, Changbin didn't seem to care about Chan's clammy skin as he pulled him into an embrace. It was an awkward hug as Chan's lower half was still tucked into the sleeping bag and Changbin remained crouched at his side, yet it was exactly what Chan needed to fight the clinging fear that nagged at his mind. He allowed his head to drop onto Changbin's shoulder as his friend tightened his grip, causing Chan to tighten his own in return. 

Somehow they ended up shuffling so that Changbin was seated alongside Chan on the head of the sleeping bag. It was a lot easier to hug from then on, and for just a few minutes, Chan let himself forget that he was the older and the taller, and simply took comfort in Changbin's presence, along with the steadily continuous breathing from Jisung. 

Changbin angled his head so that his cheek pressed into Chan's matted hair, and Chan felt gentle circles being traced against the arm he had wrapped around Changbin's shoulders. He took the small gestures as a coaxing; Changbin willing him to talk about what they had witnessed the night before and the trauma that had returned. 

Of course Changbin knew. They had spent countless nights of the past years assuming the same position, almost seeming to take it in turns with who had woken up thrashing and causing the alarms to be set off within their dorm. 

Instead this time, instead of a blaring siren, Chan had woken to birdsong and a patchwork sky. 

"I couldn't watch another house burn like that," Chan mumbled finally into Changbin's neck. "I know you were scared that we would be brought back in, but I just couldn't. I'm sorry." 

"I know," Changbin responded, and the tenderness in his voice vanquished any remaining concern Chan had of angering his friend. "That's why I stepped in when I did. You need to work on your reactions by the way, you didn't even seem to notice Sungie was about to fall-"

"Hey, I didn't escape just to get _more_ coaching, from my junior no less!" Chan scolded light-heartedly, grinning as he felt Changbin shake with silent laughter. Just minutes ago he had felt as though he was completely lost and alone, trapped in his house as his powers burst ferally from his body, and now he was smiling away as if he hadn't a care in the world. 

_What would I do without you, Bin?_

"But Sungie's alright," Changbin continued, tapping thoughtfully at Chan's arm. "Even if our first impression _was_ of him cannonballing out of a window two-floors high, and his first response to me was kicking me in the chest, he's a pretty cool kid."

"You shouldn't call him kid," Chan responded, giving a couple of taps to Changbin's shoulder in response. "I'm pretty sure the age difference between you two is a couple years, at most. What would you do if I called you kid?" 

"Kick you in the knees." 

"Because you're too small to get my face?"

"I'll show you who's small-"

Laughter rose to Chan's throat as he fought off Changbin's sudden tickling attack. Stuttered apologies left his lips as Changbin went for his ankles and he kicked them both free from the sleeping bag, sending it tumbling a little way away. 

Eventually, after a while of Changbin's prods ending fruitlessly, he rolled off of Chan's form and flopped onto the grass beside him, letting out his own high-pitched laughter as he did so. Chan was quite astonished that they hadn't managed to wake up Jisung, who was still sleeping soundly a short distance away. He must have been so tired, and Chan felt a fond smile warm his face as he recalled the way he had drifted off the night before with a 'thank you' still on his lips. 

He took a moment to catch his breath and simply allowed himself to stare at the sky. It had been years since he had been able to look at it and feel as free as he did in that moment, content simply to watch the clouds roll past and not worry about what mission was coming next, or if Changbin would be pushed too far again and would almost- 

"I meant what I said last night," he spoke to distract himself from the unwanted thoughts. Changbin glanced his direction, but Chan continued to stare up as he elaborated, "We're never going back there. I made a promise, and I'll never break it. We have Sungie with us now too, and I'm sure we can both agree that we can't let him go through the same things we did." 

Changbin nodded determinedly. "Of course. We can teach him how to use his powers together, in a way that we should have had as well. Besides, if all goes to plan, we'll have two more with us by the time we go to sleep tonight."

"Wait, it's actually getting late!" Chan realised with a start as he processed the other's words, and noted how the colour of the sky had transformed from a burning orange to a peaceful blue. "I'll wake Sungie up and you get the stuff together?" 

Changbin was already rising to his feet, brushing away the stray blades of grass which clung to his clothes. Chan did the same, the moment he had shared with Changbin giving him enough energy to stand and accept the day as a new one. Memories still retained their iron grip on him, but he was able to ignore them and focus on the present, at least for the moment. 

He started in the direction of Jisung's sleeping bag, only to see that the younger had already begun to shuffle slightly as if on the verge of waking. Chan watched patiently as Jisung rolled over onto his back and blinked up at the light sky above, causing Chan to feel sympathetic as he realised how harsh the brightness must have been to Jisung's pair of sleep-softened eyes. 

"Oh, you look like an angel," Jisung observed, and Chan felt an amused smile rise to his lips. Jisung brought one hand up to hover over his eyes, providing them the shade that they required as he squinted up at Chan. "It was all real?"

"I'm afraid so," Chan responded, keeping the carefree grin on his face as Jisung drowsily pushed himself up into a sitting position. "How did you sleep?"

"The sleeping bags are surprisingly comfortable, so not too badly. Thanks!"

Chan couldn't help the fondness that overwhelmed as he stared down at their newest recruit. His hair was messed in a way that only sleep could manage, and his gaze sluggishly moved around the clearing. Chan was sure he hadn't looked nearly as peaceful when he had woken, but was glad - and somewhat surprised - that Jisung had managed to rest as soundly as he had. 

"Sorry to drag you up when you've only just woken, but we're thinking of heading off again." Chan's smile faded slightly into an apologetic frown, but Jisung waved it off. 

"'S fine. We have places we need to be, right?" 

Chan's heart warmed as Jisung dragged himself out of the sleeping bag and moved to pack it away. He continued to be awed by how trusting and easy-going Jisung was, given their circumstances and everything he had seen Chan and Changbin do the previous night, and his willingness to follow whatever plans Chan had laid out for them, even if Chan hadn't even explained them yet. 

Part of Chan wondered if that simply was how trusting a person was supposed to be, and he had been ruined by where he came from.

"If it makes you feel any better we have breakfast bars," Changbin piped up as Chan and Jisung approached, the latter with his sleeping bag folded beneath one arm. 

"That would be amazing," Jisung murmured with gratitude as Changbin rifled through one of their rucksacks and passed a small wrapped bar over. "I never got that microwaved lasagna." 

Chan chuckled, giving Changbin a thankful smile as he was given a breakfast bar of his own. "How are your burns now, by the way?"

"Ah!" Chan watched with anticipation as Jisung lifted one of his hands and observed it, letting Changbin take the sleeping bag from beneath his arm as he did so. "They're really not too bad now. I think that you helped a lot last night."

They were simple words, but ones that made Chan practically glow with happiness. It had always been a desire of his to use his powers for something other than damage, and finally it seemed that he had managed to. 

"Do you need Channie to hold your hand again as we walk?" Changbin asked with a teasing smirk after he packed away the final sleeping bag. 

"Hey, don't tease-"

"If you're that jealous, Binnie, I can hold your hand too."

Chan's scolding remark to Changbin was interrupted by Jisung who, it seemed, did not need to be protected from teasing at all. Chan blinked in surprise for a moment as the other two began bickering, once again astonished by how easily Jisung had just managed to adapt to their dynamic and slot himself into the trio as if he had been there the entire time. 

"Are we ready to get going?" He forced himself in between them just as Changbin lunged forwards with his arms outstretched for a tickling. "We do have somewhere to be!"

"Oh yeah!" Jisung exclaimed, fighting back his giggles as he gestured expressively for Chan to lead the way. Chan decided not to mention that Jisung was pointing in the direction that they had come from the night before, and gave an amused shake of his head. "Where _are_ we going, anyways?"

Chan exchanged a quick glance with Changbin, who nodded subtly. They were going to have to explain more to Jisung eventually, and with quite a few hours left of walking to go until they reached the bunker, now was as good a time as any. 

"Well," Chan began, bending down to shoulder a couple of the bags. Changbin followed suit, reaching for the remaining three, but Jisung snatched one of them before he could and shrugged off the pointed stare the smaller directed at him. "You remember we mentioned a bunker last night?" 

Jisung nodded eagerly, and Chan started to walk in the direction he had etched into his mind from all of the time he had spent planning the route with Changbin. 

"We'll go there first, just to drop off the bags and get our ride, then we have work to do."

"Will there be anyone else there?" Jisung asked, and Chan recognised the hopefulness in his eyes. He wanted to know if there were others waiting for them at the bunker with similar abilities. Chan could empathise with the feeling of isolation, even when he had spent the majority of his life surrounded by others like him, and so couldn't even begin to understand how alienated and alone Jisung must have felt. 

Suddenly the reason for the other's trustful nature became painfully obvious; he had never found anyone even remotely like him before, and so was desperate to latch onto whoever he could who shared the burden powers like theirs brought along. And Chan was more than happy to be there for him. 

"Not when we first arrive, no," he answered Jisung's question finally. "But hopefully there will be soon enough." 

"You know of others?" Jisung breathed in wonder, confirming Chan's suspicions. "Others like us?" 

It was Changbin's turn to respond, "You've seen what our powers can do, Sung. Sure, we can do our best to control them, but they're almost... _alive._ Eventually they'll have some big explosion and our cover will be broken. That means it's a lot easier to find and locate people like us than you'd expect." 

While Chan agreed with Changbin's words, he also felt that his own experience made them even more weighted. Of course Changbin knew what it was like, but he hadn't truly felt what Chan - and Jisung - would have done regarding their own abilities. He wouldn't have feared what his powers would do to those around him if he lost control, as the damage would be limited and only last a short while. Chan and Jisung, on the other hand, could kill without even meaning to. 

And that was the worst feeling in the world. 

"So..." Jisung's voice broke Chan out of his dark thoughts, and he just about had time to direct them into the forest at the required turning before they missed it. "If it really is so easy to spot us, then how come we're not all over the news? How come superheroes and superpowers are all left as things in comic books and movies?" 

"Because it's safer for everyone that way," Chan responded grimly, and he felt Jisung's gaze shift to him. He didn't look up to meet it, and instead concentrated on keeping them on track. "There are... helpers out there who can keep us hidden away until we can properly control our powers. Could you imagine what some bad people would do if they had a hold of us?"

Jisung shuddered visibly, and Chan mentally berated himself. He had vowed that he would be an optimistic, comforting presence for the newest member of their team, yet already his own negative thoughts had caused him to be truthful enough with his words that Jisung seemed to be intimidated. That was the last thing Chan wanted. 

"And these... 'helpers...'” Jisung murmured, his voice betraying his hesitation. "What are they like? Who are they?"

Chan could feel Changbin's meaningful stare on him, as if asking how much they were going to say, and who was going to say it. He was torn between keeping Jisung safe and sheltered from it all, and preparing him for what may happen. Then again, as long as Chan had any control over it, Jisung would never end up with anyone other than their own exclusive group. 

"There's a man who goes by JYP. His real name is unknown, even to his closest advisors and agents," Chan began, kicking a stray twig from his path. "He locates and takes in people like us, then trains them so that they can fight crime."

"He did that with... the two of you, then?" Jisung questioned, gesturing between the others. His eyes were sharp and focused; he was obviously keen on learning everything that he could. 

"That's right," Chan responded, tasting bitterness on his tongue as he remembered his own recruitment. "I was taken in when I was around eight years old. An accident similar to the one you just had left me quite an... anomaly, and it didn't take long for JYP to bring me in." 

Jisung's stare softened, and Chan didn't quite know how to feel about the look of understanding that he was given. Part of him was grateful that he had someone who truly understood what it felt like to lose control of powers like theirs, but another part of him despised that it had to be Jisung. Despite his words to Changbin earlier, Jisung did just seem so _young._ Chan knew that he would have been able to do great things and live a happy, full life if it hadn't been for the abilities weighing him down. 

He had pictured a life like that for himself enough, after all. 

"And um..." Chan cleared his throat, desperate to move the conversation elsewhere. "Bin was brought in... five or six years ago?"

Changbin nodded affirmatively - if he had picked up on the forlornness of the other two then he didn't show it. Or, perhaps, he was just trying to distract them as well. "Channie was actually the one who recruited me. It was as if JYP could tell we would get on or something."

"Well, as soon as I saw you stealing instant noodles from a convenience store I knew we had something in common," Chan tried to say lightly, causing Changbin to let out a small huff of laughter. Jisung, on the other hand, kept the frown of concentration on his face, and Chan wanted nothing more than to see him smiling and carefree again. 

However, before he could attempt to, Jisung asked yet another question. "How did you guys get trained, then?" 

"With how we were discovered, JYP already knew the basis of what our abilities entailed. Then we went through a sort of... initiation stage, our trainers determined what we needed to work on and how we could strengthen our powers, and we got to work," Chan explained. Even though the conversation was rapidly putting a dampener on his mood, he tried to shove the unwanted memories to the back of his mind when he saw how keenly Jisung was listening to what they were saying. He reminded himself that this was the first that Jisung would have heard of their world, and that he needed to know more. 

"Strengthen?" He echoed. "How?" 

"Helping us control them, for one thing," Chan listed off, recalling the process that he had gone through. Despite the eventful years that had passed, he could still remember his first weeks within JYP's organisation with startling clarity. "After that... Our trainers worked with us to try and figure out if we could improve them at all. For example, learning specific fighting techniques, or..."

There was a model example, though Chan did not want to voice it aloud. 

For better or worse, Changbin did it for him. 

"I could only manage three seconds of stopping time when Chan found me," he said nonchalantly. "It was tough, but through the training programme I bumped it up to five." 

With the careless way Changbin had spoken, one wouldn't have thought twice about it. His words, however, brought back memories and feelings that Chan wanted to keep locked away. 

_Changbin, spending hours locked in the bathroom and leaving pale and shaken. Chan, being restrained as he desperately fought to get through a set of white doors. An equally bright room with a lone bed and Chan's best friend lying beneath the sheets. A monitor projecting a flat line, and Chan's own heart stopping simultaneously-_

"But we'll help you with your powers ourselves. Isn't that right, Channie?" 

Chan gulped as he was dragged from the memories. He forced his eyes up from the path they followed to meet Changbin's knowing stare. _Never again,_ his dark eyes seemed to say. _We'll do it right this time._

"You guys... You would really do that?" Jisung asked in a small voice, thankfully not appearing to have picked up on the silent conversation that passed between the older two. 

"Of course, Sung," Chan said decisively. He forced his breathing to steady, and shot Jisung a smile which the other returned with blinding happiness. "Besides, it means you won't have to wear those gloves you were talking about. They must've been super uncomfortable, right?" 

"Oh, you have no idea!" Jisung groaned. "They were itchy, they looked awful, and I even had to wear them in bed! It also meant I had to use a _fortune's_ worth of moisturiser because my hands would get so dry."

With his light-hearted complaints, Chan felt the tension begin to leave his shoulders. He allowed himself to focus on Jisung's words as he ranted on about the many precautions his parents had made him take, being drawn into the life of the younger in order to escape from his own. 

They continued to chat as they walked, trading stories as they went, partly to distract themselves from the hunger and partly to continue getting to know each other, despite the comradeship they had already formed. Jisung listened with awe to the stories that Chan and Changbin had to give about their time working under JYP; he especially seemed interested by their experience with missions and using their powers to fight. In return, he gave the pair stories of the boring normality of his life, but Chan and Changbin both clung to his words as if he was telling them about an entirely alien world. And, in a way, he was. Changbin could count the number of TV shows he had watched on one hand, and Chan even less. 

Chan was quite surprised by how quickly they were able to move. While he didn't underestimate Jisung, he had expected that with one extra person they would travel at a slower pace. However, the youngest's astonishingly cheerful and energetic nature had seemed to perk Chan and Changbin enough that they were able to arrive at the bunker almost an hour earlier than Chan would have predicted beforehand. 

Jisung was midway through fanatically explaining the plot of an animated series called 'Doraemon,' or something along the lines of that, when the cylindrical outline of their bunker came into sight. Chan folded his hands across his chest as he stared at the structure which would be their home, hopefully for quite a while. 

Some plantation grew out to cover part of the bunker, which was a dull, metallic silver. It looked fairly small and basic from the outside, and while Chan knew that it had been abandoned by JYP months ago, he also knew that it extended beneath the ground to provide quite a lot more than met the eye. It was also out of the way enough that no one should find it, other than perhaps a dog-walker or some venturing children, who should not think any more of it. 

"That's it?" Jisung asked as Chan took the lead in their approach, seeming to have completely forgotten about Doraemon. 

"Were you expecting a five-star hotel or something?" Changbin nudged Jisung's arm with his own, earning an equally playful shove back. "Besides, _sir_ , I can assure you that there is more here than you'd think."

They circled around it once - Changbin and Jisung starting up some sort of landlord and customer roleplay as they did so - before Chan managed to find the well-concealed entrance. 

"Here we are!" He exclaimed triumphantly, interrupting the sales offer than Changbin had been making to Jisung behind him. Chan ignored their continued nattering as he reached into one of the bags he carried, rummaging around in a few of the pockets before he finally found what he was looking for: a simple key card. 

"Woah, so sophisticated!" Jisung praised in a loud, business-like tone as Chan held the small card over the little flickering light to the left of the door. Changbin answered with something along the lines of 'I told you so,' but the rest of his response was cut off by the loud screeching the metal door made against the hard interior floor as Chan pushed it open. 

Much to the relief of Chan's patience, the two behind him fell silent as they took their first steps into the bunker. 

Upon their entrance, the rectangular lights attached to the ceiling flickered to life. The inside of the bunker, which previously had been entirely coated by darkness due to the lack of windows, was highlighted with an artificial whiteness. There were a few dusty, run-down looking sofas lying around, a single torn rug and some musty blankets draped over a few cushions. 

"Five-star," Jisung said sarcastically, earning a flat stare from Changbin. 

Chan glanced over his shoulder and gave the youngest a small smirk, before he turned and jogged over to the other end of the bunker. He fiddled with the handle on the metal door for a moment, before finally he managed to get it to open. It revealed a small and empty room with walls just as grimy and uncared for as the rest of the bunker, other than a familiar little flickering light that resembled the Chan had found at the side of the original entrance. 

"There it is..." He said with satisfaction. The footsteps of his friends grew closer, so he pushed the door entirely open and allowed them to pass into the room, bowing to Jisung as he did so. Jisung scoffed playfully, and Chan allowed the door to swing shut once the two of them were inside. "Want to see the real accommodation, Sung?" 

"Oh, you mean there's more?"

"You seriously thought our standards were that low?" Changbin hissed with an offended look, which soon morphed into a smirk as Jisung reached over to poke him in the ribs. 

"No. Well actually, I didn't think _Channie's_ standards were that low. You, on the other hand-"

"Chan, can you believe this?" Changbin whined loudly. "We've barely had this brat for twelve hours and he's already disrespecting me."

"You love me really."

  
"I do not-"

"Guys, be quiet," Chan interrupted, stepping back from where he had just scanned his key card once again. "You're gonna miss the big reveal."

The room lurched suddenly, and a reasonable amount of dust showered down from above. Jisung gave a squeal and latched onto Changbin, who responded by wrapping a protective arm around his waist, their previous squabbling seeming to be entirely forgotten. Chan rolled his eyes fondly and vowed to tease the pair for it later, but took the moment to concentrate on the steady descent of their little enclosure. 

A few seconds of anticipation passed before the blank wall opposite them gave way to an extensive space. The reaction of the two behind Chan was immediate; Jisung detached himself from Changbin's hold with a small gasp of amazement, while the other whistled softly. Chan, meanwhile, simply grinned. 

In front of them was exactly what he had been hoping for, and expecting. A large, open area stretched out in front of their little lift, which had just come to a trundling halt. The light on the ceiling no longer flickered, but shone down with a confident glare onto the main living space of the bunker. On the left side of the spacious room was a simple kitchen, appliances neatly slotted in between cupboards and a few rounded tables to eat at stood nearby. Meanwhile, the right side of the room had been styled to be a comfortable area with some couches, chairs and cushions huddled around a dark green rug. 

Behind the initial setups, the room stretched and narrowed into a hallway. Even from Chan's position in the lift he could make out a number of separate corridors breaking off to either side. He had a vague idea of what they led to, but it was becoming obvious that quite a deal of exploring was needed before they could truly settle in.

"Welcome," Chan said, taking the first step out of the lift onto the solid ground of the underground base. "To our new home. Feel free to rate it five-stars now, Sung."

"I haven't even seen the sleeping facilities yet," Jisung responded, though the awe was evident in his voice as he followed behind. "So your... JYP guy, he owned this place?"

"Along with many others like it, yes," Chan responded, letting the bags slide from his shoulders onto the floor, the others doing the same. He paced over to one of the tables in the kitchen area and brushed his finger against its surface. He frowned down at it when it came away dusty; it seemed they would have to do a little cleaning as well. But there were other things they had to do first. "Are you guys hungry?"

"Starving," Changbin said, with some eager nods of agreement from Jisung. "Is there any food in, though? I wouldn't have thought there would be anything." 

"I'm sure there's _something,_ " Chan said as he moved from the tables to the cupboards. He bent down in front of one of them and squinted into its mostly-empty inside. "You guys go and explore. I'll cook something up, just be back in ten!"

Changbin was the first to move, strutting contentedly forward towards the end hallway after snagging one of the cushions from the main area. Jisung was slightly more hesitant, and Chan shot the younger a questioning glance as he approached. 

"What's up, Sung?"

"Do you... want any help?" Jisung fiddled with the hem of his shirt, and Chan caught a glimpse of his burnt fingertips. They already looked a lot better, and Chan knew what truly horrible burns looked like, having inflicted countless himself. 

That was something he didn't want to think about, so he shook his head both in response to Jisung's question and to try and clear the thoughts from his mind. "It's fine, don't worry. My powers make it super easy for me, and Bin's absolutely awful at cooking - I've learnt from experience."

Much to his concern, Jisung didn't smile at his comment, let alone laugh as Chan had been hoping. Instead, his small hands continued to play with the fabric of his shirt, and he suddenly seemed uncharacteristically keen to avoid Chan's gaze. 

Chan frowned and straightened up. He was just a little taller than Jisung, who still was stubbornly looking away. After a few moments of waiting in vain for a reaction from the other, Chan gave a small sigh of resignation and reached forwards. He placed one hand on Jisung's shoulder and brought his other up to hold the younger's face, gently redirecting his troubled gaze from the floor to Chan's eyes. 

The contact had an immediate effect; Jisung leaned into Chan's touch just as he had, seemingly without realising, the night before. His eyes fluttered shut for a moment as though he was savouring it, and Chan couldn't keep back the sad smile that came to his face. Everything about Jisung screamed that he had never received any true affection in his younger years, and the simple way in which he reacted to contact of any sort spoke thousands of unsaid words. Chan realised that he had been lucky in at least one way; he'd had Changbin, while Jisung hadn't had anyone. 

"Talk to me," he said softly, and Jisung opened his eyes to give Chan a look so dejected he thought that his heart was about to break on the spot. 

"You do know I... I can help, right? I want to help... I won't make the same mistake as I did last night, I swear..."

And then Chan understood. Jisung had taken Chan's rejection of help as something entirely different to what it had really been. Chan cursed himself inernally, because of course Jisung would want to help as much as he could, and of course he would feel guilty if he thought his microwave mishap would affect what he could do. That was just the kind of person Jisung was, wasn't it?

So Chan gave Jisung the kindest, warmest smile he could, and he watched as the walls the other had momentarily built up shattered into pieces. 

"I know. I promise, that's not what this is about," Chan said earnestly, carefully watching Jisung's expression for any disbelief. He let out a small sigh of relief when he found none. "It's just a lot easier for me to do this, and I wouldn't want you sitting around watching me warm some canned soup when Binnie is off securing the best room in the bunker for himself."

Jisung gasped loudly and looked at Chan with pure horror, as if Chan had just given him the worst news. And, perhaps in Jisung's point of view, he had.

"He's not!"

"What else do you think he took that cushion for?"

Jisung seemed rooted to the spot for one moment, but barely a second passed before he was tearing himself from Chan's grip and sprinting down the hallway with a newfound energy. Chan laughed loudly as he watched the other almost trip over himself in his haste, and then turned back to the limited supplies he had found. 

"Welcome to Chan's kitchen," he said quietly to himself as he spared a quick glance to the back of the cans to check their ingredients and expirery date. Upon determining that they should be alright - though he couldn't confirm quite how they would taste, he got to work. 

Changbin and Jisung were slightly later than ten minutes, but Chan chose to turn a blind eye to it as it was still their first meal, and judging by how exhausted the pair looked, quite a competition had gone down in terms of who got which room. 

"What happened to you two?" Chan asked with amusement as Changbin flopped himself into one of the chairs and immediately dug into the bowl Chan had placed there moments before. Jisung was a different matter; his brown hair was looking significantly ruffled as glared across the table.

"Chan," he began, though his determined stare remained on Changbin. "Would you say it's fair for the smallest person to get the largest room?"

"Chan," Changbin repeated between mouthfuls, imitating Jisung's serious tone. "Wouldn't you say it's fair for the most bullied one to get the largest room?" 

"I'd say that we're going to have to think carefully about the rooms." Chan cut in before Jisung could give a heated response, judging by the way he narrowed his eyes in Changbin's direction. "Hopefully we'll have two more sleeping here tonight, and if that's the case, someone will have to pair up. Chances are the two of them will, but we don't want to displease our new guests."

He could remember reading on the information sheet that JYP had handed him just before leaving that the bunker had a total of four bedrooms. At the time he had thought only four of them would be staying together at most, so it hadn't seemed like a problem, and they could all have their own rooms. However, within the first night of their travels Chan and Changbin had stumbled upon Jisung, and now there was a small flicker of hope in Chan that they would find even more. 

"Oh yeah, tell me more about these people!" Jisung said, his protests to the room disagreement seeming to have been forgotten. 

Chan ignored the triumphant grin on Changbin's face as he responded. "Well, you remember what Bin said about our abilities sometimes causing a bit of an... impression?"

Jisung nodded eagerly over his spoon, prompting Chan to continue. 

"We're not entirely sure whether these two do have abilities, or if they're just extremely skilled. However, a few subtle hints had caused JYP to zone in on them and begin analysing any attacks similar to theirs, enough that we were able to track them at a distance. Part of the deal Bin and I made to allow our freedom was that we would try and recruit these two, so they have themselves out of anyone else's grasp."

"So, what do they do? What do you think their powers might be?" Jisung questioned, finishing his soup and sliding the empty bowl to the side with a small murmur of thanks. 

"They're sort of like vigilantes," Chan said, recalling the files that he and Changbin had poured over for nights in preparation for their release. "Nothing seemed amiss at first; they just had fairly basic yet successful attacks on small gangs and robbery groups, but eventually we began to notice some strange patterns in their work." 

He realised that he had barely touched his own meal, and so nodded to Changbin to continue for him. 

"First of all was how accurately they were able to pinpoint some of the criminal's locations. We're talking extremely accurate here, like some small underground groups that JYP knew of but hadn't even been able to locate himself. They suddenly turned up, efficiently dealt with and seeming scared out of their wits." 

"And that was the second odd thing about them," Chan took over from Changbin, having eaten all he could with the nerves that were beginning to kick at his stomach. "Some of the wounds these guys had were... strange, to say the least."

"How?" Jisung asked, obviously hanging onto every word. 

"Well..." Chan caught Changbin's gaze for a moment before he carried on. "Their injuries were always caused by daggers instead of bullets. But they were just... it wasn't normal at all. No matter how deep a wound would be, there was never any dagger left inside of it, and blood samples from the injuries revealed traces of the criminals' blood all being mixed together."

"Mixed together?" Jisung frowned, glancing between the two. "How? What does that mean?"

"It means that the same dagger was used to fight every single one of them, and the same dagger managed to defeat them all too. That led us to believe that whoever was wielding it wasn't your typical vigilante. No matter how much training someone gets, that shouldn't be possible without some sort of ability." 

"So you think one of them is some sort of... hacker, and the other one has a crazy fighting ability?" Jisung finished. 

Chan nodded and stood, stretching to try and be rid of the tension in his muscles. "Maybe. We're really not sure yet, but it's worth checking out all the same. And they move around a lot, making us think they don't want to be found."

"We do know where they are now," Changbin told Jisung as the other gave a confused cock of his head. "But we don't know how long they'll stay there for, which is why we have to get to them as soon as possible." 

"So!" Chan said with finality, putting an arm around Jisung's shoulders and beginning to lead him in the direction of the lift. "Sungie and I will go get the van ready, and Binnie, you can do the dishes!" 

"Yo, there's a van?" Jisung hissed to Chan with excitement, both ignoring the whined complaints from behind them as they made it to the lift. Chan nodded proudly - it had been one of the determining factors for him regarding their particular bunker. As Chan didn't know how far they would be travelling, a method of transport was desireable, and he didn't want to take one directly from JYP's headquarters. 

Jisung continued to question him as he scanned his card and they began their ascent. Chan found himself barely able to get a word in; as soon as Jisung asked one thing, he then seemed to come up with another related question that he wanted answered even more. 

They stepped out of the lift, back into the run-down ground floor of the bunker. Chan led the way to the back door where he recalled the van was kept, listening with half an ear as Jisung compared the ground floor to a 'deception spell' from something called Harry Potter, whatever that was. 

Jisung's rambling trailed off as they entered the garage beyond. Just as Chan had anticipated, a black van was parked neatly in the middle of the otherwise empty area. Rectangular lights similar to those in the other rooms of the bunker flickered overhead and supplied them with the light they needed, and revealed the van in its full glory. 

Or... lack thereof. 

It was plain, simple, and quite dusty from disuse. Fortunately the tires still seemed to be alright, Chan confirmed after nudging one with his foot and feeling solidarity beneath, but he couldn't say the same for the engine. As soon as he pulled open the front, he grimaced upon seeing the lifeless device. 

"Dammit..." He grumbled, mentally berating himself. He had been so well-prepared, ensuring that both he and Changbin had their own key for it, but had completely forgotten to check with JYP that the van itself was in fit condition for use. "Where are we gonna find a charger for an electric battery out here?"

"Chan."

"Huh?" Chan retained the disappointed frown on his face as he turned to Jisung, only to find the younger was staring at him with an equally unimpressed look. It took him an embarrassingly long time to realise what Jisung was suggesting. "Oh... Oh! You can make electricity too?"

Jisung chewed on his lower lip as he stepped forward to stand beside Chan, staring down at the engine with an unreadable expression. "I... don't know? I've never tried using my powers before; I've always wanted to keep them at bay, but... I might be able to?"

Chan recognised the same inner turmoil that had gripped Jisung during their short conversation in the kitchen earlier, and let out a small sigh. He reached out and took one of Jisung's hands in his own, giving it an encouraging squeeze. Wonder filled him at the tiny, almost unnoticeable shook he received from it, as if Jisung's powers were already beginning to flare up with their anticipation to being used. Changbin was right; their abilities really did seem to be alive sometimes. 

"Go for it, Sung," he said softly, watching closely as the younger continued to stare searchingly down at the engine in front of him. "No matter what happens, anything you can do would be better than nothing. Maybe just... do it with your uninjured hand?"

"Then you probably shouldn't be touching me," Jisung added, smiling weakly in Chan's direction. Chan made a small noise of acknowledgement as let go, stepping away and clasping his hands behind his back instead. 

A complete silence fell over the garage as Jisung reached forwards, his fingers shaking as they grew closer to the engine. Chan couldn't help but feel his protective instincts flaring up as he watched, and was tempted to rush forwards and tear Jisung away from the device. He knew, logically, that Jisung's electricity couldn't hurt him - Chan had a fairly similar ability with being able to conduct heat energy, and he had never been harmed directly by his powers unlike Changbin. Hopefully Jisung was more like the former. 

Chan forced his legs to remain motionless, and instead focused all of his attention on Jisung as the other's eyes sharpened in concentration. A miniscule trail of light left the tip of Jisung's index finger, which hovered mere centimeters from the surface of the engine. The result was instantaneous; Jisung leapt backwards as if he had been burnt, causing Chan to take an impulsive step forwards, but was stopped in his tracks when he caught sight of the small number of lights that had flickered on inside of the front box. 

"Did... Did I do it?" Jisung asked, his voice light with wonder and hope. Chan shook himself out of his frozen position of surprise and hurried over to the driver's side. 

"Let's see, shall we?" He said breathlessly, fumbling with his keys for an agonising couple of seconds. He heard the slam of Jisung closing the front box behind him just as he unlocked the van and latched onto the door handle, swinging it open quickly in his haste. 

Jisung patted around to the passenger's side as Chan all but threw himself into the driver's seat. His finger hovered over the large 'on' button that sat just to the right of the steering wheel, before he finally pushed down forcefully onto it. 

And the van burst into life. 

It rumbled with energy as the engine kicked into action, and a little screen in front of Chan turned on to reveal a number of options such as navigation and audio. However, the simple grumbling noise of the van being ready to be driven was better than anything else Chan could have imagined. 

"You did it... You did it, Sung!" Chan exclaimed, his voice rising an octave with his excitement. Jisung scrambled into the seat beside him and beamed a smile so dazzling that Chan was convinced he was looking into the sun. 

"I did it!" He cried, lunging forwards to throw his arms around Chan's neck in joy. Chan was more than happy to return the embrace, letting out a delighted laugh that bubbled from within. He only wished that he would have been able to share such happiness with someone when he had first managed to use his powers for something good, but was relieved that at least Jisung had experienced it. 

'We'll do it right this time,' Changbin had said, and Chan couldn't agree more.

"Have I walked in on something I shouldn't have?" 

_Ah... speak of the devil._

Chan glanced over the top of Jisung's head to the entrance of the garage, where Changbin was leaning casually against the doorway and watching the two with an amused smile. He raised an eyebrow at Chan, who simply rolled his eyes as Jisung pulled out of their hug to look at Changbin, the same delighted grin lighting up his face. Chan didn't miss how Changbin's gaze softened upon seeing their youngest's happiness. 

"I used my powers, Binnie!" He reported proudly, and Changbin's smile widened. "The engine was all dead, and then I just went all charger on it, and now it's working again!" 

"I'm glad to hear," Changbin responded, meeting Chan's eyes and giving him a small nod of approval. Chan found himself smiling, the moment's excitement still refusing to wear off. Perhaps the two of them had been through hell and back to control and train their powers, but if there was anything positive to come from it at all, it was that they had the knowledge of what they shouldn't do with Jisung, and how to handle him with care. 

While Chan's mental and physical scars still remained, he was beginning to realise how dedicated he was to use them for something good. For Jisung. 

"The dishes are all done, no thanks to you guys," Changbin continued, stepping forwards and letting the door to the garage close behind him. "Are we set to head off, then?" 

Chan nodded, tapping at the small screen in front of him and bringing up a map of the area. He was quickly able to match the digital version to the paper ones he had slaved over back in JYP's headquarters, and by simply pinching his fingers, managed to locate the small motel which JYP had most recently tracked the pair of vigilantes to. 

Content that it was ready, he leant back in his chair and called, "Can you open the garage gate, Bin?"

"Honestly, you two are always forcing me to do the dirty work," Changbin shot back loudly, but mere seconds later there was a loud screeching behind them and daylight flooded in to mix with the previously artificial lighting. "I'm guessing I have to sit in the back as well, now that you guys have gotten yourselves all comfortable in the front."

Chan shot Jisung a glance, who was smirking with satisfaction as he leant back and propped his feet up onto the dashboard. "If you're getting the best room, then I at least deserve to ride shotgun."

Changbin's next complaints didn't reach their ears as they both swung the doors on their sides shut. A few more seconds passed, and Chan was really beginning to wonder whether Changbin was petty enough to refuse to get in without acquiring a seat in the front, but finally the back doors to the van were thrown open and their smaller friend climbed in, still grumbling quietly to himself about 'respect.' 

There were a few spare blankets resting in the back of the van, which Changbin immediately settled down into. Once certain that they were ready, Chan checked behind them with the mirror on his side, and then pressed his foot down on the reverse pedal. 

The van swung out into the bumpy graveled path which ran along the side of the bunker, and Chan grimaced as the audible sound of stones grinding against the bottom of the van reached their ears. They didn't have to look classy, however, and it was even best if they avoided any extra attention, so he forced himself not to feel too upset by how damaged he knew the black paint of the van would get with their usage of it. 

Nevertheless, he couldn't help the small sigh of relief that left his lips when they made it onto proper tarmac. 

They had been driving properly for perhaps thirty seconds when Jisung asked if they could have the radio on. Chan was surprised for a moment - he had never listened to the radio much himself, having not had the time before he was taken in by JYP, but when no oppositions rose from Changbin behind them he abided to Jisung's request. 

"You like music, Sung?" He asked as he fiddled with the little knobs to adjust the volume. Jisung had seemed to visibly perk up when the steady beat of a song began to thrum from the van's speakers, his contented grin giving Chan an answer in itself. 

"Yeah, uh..." Chan caught the younger's flustered smile out of the corner of his eyes, and felt himself soften at the little flush which dusted Jisung's cheeks. "I had a guitar, I guess." 

"Wait, seriously?" Changbin called from the back, appearing to have listened in on their conversation despite his initial intentions of sulking. "Channie and I wanted to make music a while ago while we were working under JYP, but we never had the time to and couldn't get our hands on any musical equipment."

"It was a bit of an impulsive thing," Chan added, shooting Jisung a grin which the other returned with full force. 

"I made music!" He said excitedly, tapping his foot along to the radio. "It started off as an excuse for me to take off my gloves occasionally, since I obviously couldn't play with them on. Eventually though I actually really enjoyed it, and it became a bit of an escape for me."

Chan nodded understandingly. While he and Changbin had never had the chance to do any of the creating that they had wished to, they would often turn to any music they could get their hands on for comfort. After a long mission, they would usually lock themselves in their shared dorm and play the few CD's JYP had given them on repeat. Or, if one was in an extremely dark place following a... nightmare, the other would sing softly until they both returned to a tense sleep. 

They settled into a contented silence, and Chan rolled down the windows to let some fresh air into the stuffy and disused van. Jisung was humming along softly to the tunes which played through their speakers, while there was a light tapping from Changbin in the back. Chan nodded along to the beat, but forced himself to maintain focus on the quiet roads ahead and the little digital map he had projected onto the screen in front of him. 

However, just as they drove, Chan allowed himself to pretend that they weren't tracking down two mysterious vigilantes. He pretended that instead they were on their way to a gig of some sort, where Jisung would play his guitar and they would showcase their music, entertaining and brightening people's nights. He pretended that they were normal and happy, and lived together in a little flat in a quiet town, where Changbin would always do the dishes after meals and Jisung would constantly be messing with their appliances. And every night they would sleep happily, without a fear or worry in the world, and Chan would just be able to pick up his phone and hear the loving voices of his parents through the receiver- 

Chan wiped at the single tear which rolled down his cheek. 

When they finally ended up at the small motel Chan had outlined on his paper map of the area back in JYP's headquarters, their throats were raw from belting out the lines to whatever song which came onto the radio. Jisung had been the only one to recognise them, so had found it absolutely hilarious to listen to Chan and Changbin's attempts to sing along, and had put them both to shame. 

"This is it?" Jisung said with a hint of disbelief in his voice. Chan could admit that it wasn't the most glamourous of buildings, with a blinking sign and a few floors of identical doors leading into presumably identical rooms. 

"You're extremely judgmental about living conditions, aren't you?" Changbin mumbled as he untangled himself from the little mound of blankets he had created in the back. As he moved to open the back doors, Chan turned off the engine and threw open his own door, stepping out into the rapidly cooling night. 

JYP had guessed that the vigilante pair only stayed in the same place for a maximum of three nights, so if luck was on their side, their travels had taken them to the right place. 

"So, how do we know which room they're in?" Jisung whispered to Chan as they rounded the van and waited for Changbin. Chan decided not to mention that there was no need to be too quiet, but decided that he would humour Jisung for the moment. 

"This motel is rarely used, and the only people who come here normally are lone travelers who check in for one night and are gone the next morning. However, two people booked in here for two nights, and we found that their ID’s have registered into multiple different motels, near the locations of where the attacks have been. We found they were listed as Room 0325." 

Jisung swallowed and nodded, his arms twitching nervously at his sides. Chan caught onto it immediately, and shot the younger a concerned look. 

"Hey. If you're scared, you don't have to come. Binnie and I will be fine going in ourselves - we're used to stuff like this." 

Impressively, Jisung gave a determined shake of his head and clenched his jaw. "No... No, I'll be fine. I want to help you." 

Before Chan could give any comfort, Changbin appeared from the back of the van and hopped up onto the sidewalk where the other two stood. Chan reached into his jacket pocket and locked the van, before turning and leading the way towards the motel. There was an unstable-looking metal staircase just to the right of the building which Chan directed them towards; he guessed that the room was on the third floor, and didn't want to have to go past the reception on the ground level.

"So, we would rather Changbin doesn't use his powers if he can't help it, because it's inevitable that someone in this building will feel its effects and question it. We want to avoid that," Chan said, cooling his voice into a serious tone. Jisung nodded tentatively from his right, while Changbin's uncharacteristically emotionless stare remained on the staircase. As much as Chan hated to think about it, he knew that they would have to teach Jisung how to maintain a calm, hardened mindset in situations such as these. "Bin, how do you think they'll react to us?"

"You know how I first reacted to you, Channie," Changbin responded tightly as they began their ascent. Chan felt a small flicker of guilt that he'd forced Changbin to talk about that period of his life - knowing that the other didn't want to think about it - but considering he was the only one who had been in a situation similar to that of the vigilantes there was no choice. "They're not going to like people seeking them out, especially not for their abilities. We should assume they'll be hostile."

Chan nodded as Jisung let out a small whimper. "Fine. Then we need the element of surprise. We need to get them into a situation where they won't be able to fight back at us, and we can tell them enough to make them trust us without having to worry about ending up with one of those daggers in our throats before we can finish."

He was beginning to regret that he hadn't forced Jisung to stay at the van, as the younger had gained a worrying pale complexion in the time they had taken to climb to the third floor. 

Chan led the way down the row of doorways, mentally listing off the numbers as they passed them. He noted with satisfaction that they all had keyholes; the motel was clearly not sophisticated enough to use cards just yet. That meant he could unlock the door easily. 

'0323, 0324...' 

0325\. 

"This is it," he said quietly under his breath. Changbin and Jisung stopped just behind him, the latter still shaking. "I'm going to unlock the door and then go inside. Neither of you are to say anything, alright? I'll do something small with my powers that they can see obviously and let them know we're like them."

"And... if they're not like us?" Jisung asked hesitantly, as if he was dreading the answer. Chan knew that he wouldn't like it, and so didn't respond. 

_Cut a line between yourself and the powers, Christopher. When you're using your powers, you are a different person. Don't listen to your feelings, listen to your mind._

Chan steeled his expression into a neutral one and reached into his pocket, bringing out the hair pin which he always kept on him. Picking locks had been one of the first things he had learnt how to do; so that when they first brought Changbin in, he could unlock his dormitory door at night and sneak into his friend's. Eventually JYP moved them in together and revealed that he had known what Chan was doing all along, but wished for him to learn the skill as it was a valuable one. 

He reached forwards and picked the lock with ease. There was a small, satisfying click, and he pocketed the hair pin before placing a steady hand on the door handle and carefully pushing it open. 

A glowing yellow light from inside seeped out into the steadily darkening outside world. There was a small corridor in front of them, which then seemed to open up to the left into the main area of the room. Chan could just about make out the foot of a bed, but the rest of it was concealed by the wall in the way. 

He stepped inside, his steps light and soundless against the carpeted floor. Jisung and Changbin followed close behind, and managed to be equally as silent. Chan made a mental note to congratulate Jisung on it later, but his mind refocused immediately at the hushed sound of voices from within.

"It's dead, it's completely dead!" someone hissed, their urgency and stress painfully clear. 

"I know, Innie... I'm sorry, I thought this motel would have better electrical supply. Your software just completely drains the thing..." The other person spoke, their tone velvety but lowered with remorse. "Maybe we can go down and ask the lady at reception if she has any way of charging it..."  
  


What happened next was almost too fast for Chan to process. 

One moment, Jisung was quivering behind him, and the next he was stepping out of their concealed position behind the wall, an eager expression on his face that Chan recognised all too well. Poor, naïve Jisung, he just wanted to _help-_

"I can charge it for you-" 

Chan shot forwards to place himself between the strangers and Jisung, and processed many things at once. First of all, the two vigilantes were far younger than he had anticipated, one looking around the same age as Jisung, and the other even younger. The next was that the youngest one, his large eyes widened with a mixture of surprise and fear, was just in the process of falling from the bed in his shock. And the final was that a dagger was shooting directly towards his chest, its blade glinting maliciously in the golden lamplight. 

Then, time stopped. 

_One._

If Chan was able to sigh in relief, he would have. Instead, he settled on watching as Changbin stepped out from where he had remained concealed by the wall, and immediately got to work. 

_Two._

Changbin plucked the dagger from where it hung motionlessly in the air just in front of Chan's body and tossed it out into the open doorway. 

_Three._

He rushed over to the bedside table, which contained quite a few more daggers, and did the exact same with them. 

_Four._

From his position next to the bed, he easily took the motionless form of the falling boy and placed him securely onto the ground. 

_Five._

He returned to his position at Chan's side and folded his arms over his chest. 

And then, time started once again. 

Chan let out the breath that he had been holding, and Jisung staggered backwards to slide down against the wall behind him. The two strangers were no better; the younger one who had just been steadied by Changbin shuffled away from them until he was pressed against the bedside table which had previously held the daggers. Meanwhile, the one who had thrown the dagger at Chan in the first place was staring at them with a look of pure disbelief on his face. 

"Well then," Chan said slowly, sensing that he was the only one - other than Changbin - in a state to talk. "Let's start over, shall we? My name is Chan, this is Changbin and Jisung, and I believe you may be like us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LET’S GO CHANGBIN- and oooh who could these guys be? 0.0 also help, I just really... really love 3Racha... And Chan really deserves all the hugs, right now :,3
> 
> But here we are with the second chapter! Now that I've written and got out a couple, I think I can establish the basis of an upload schedule :D Being in lockdown and all means I have significantly more free time than I do usually, so expect at least a chapter a week (maybe two) depending on what I get up to and the content/length of the chapters c: I may have to reevaluate the schedule once things being reopening again though, but until then this is the plan! 
> 
> For now, thank you so much for reading, and thank you for the comments last chapter - they really meant a lot <3
> 
> And please feel free to contact me on Twitter @beanwillstay
> 
> <3


	3. {3}

A weighted silence fell over the group of five. Changbin's blood rushed in his ears, and he felt the all-too-familiar fatigue begin to leech at his bones. It always came just after he used his abilities, and over time he had managed to build a fair bit of resistance to it. That didn't mean it wasn't exerting, however, simply that it he no longer allowed it to handicap him as it once had. 

"How... How did you do that?" The stranger on the floor spoke up. He regarded Changbin with frightened eyes, and even from his position at Chan's side Changbin was able to see his full-bodied trembling. Changbin tried to rid himself of the stony glare he had taken up since making his appearance known, but he couldn't erase the image of the dagger's tip mere centimeters from Chan's chest from his mind, and so remained on edge despite knowing it would do nothing to make him seem less threatening. 

Instead, he glanced in the direction of the one he assumed had aimed the dagger at Chan to begin with. Dark brown eyes flashed with defensiveness from behind a fluffy acorn-brown fringe. The intensity of the other's look greatly contrasted the soft youthfulness of his face, and Changbin couldn't help but be reminded of Jisung. 

"You're like us?" The brunet spoke eventually in the same velvety voice he had before, though it wavered slightly with shock. 

"Well, you did just see the stunt Bin pulled, right?" Chan responded, his tone light as though he had already forgotten about the dagger his conversation partner had sent his way moments before. Changbin watched silently from his friend's side as the same searching stare redirected itself in his direction. He met it evenly, and whatever the other had been looking for was unfound. 

"How did you get to us? How did you know about us?" The person shot back, and Changbin marveled out how out of place the frown looked on his face. There was a desperation in the way his eyes flicked between the two figures standing in front of him, and it was easy for Changbin to recognise it as a need for escape. 

He cut in before Chan had the chance to respond, as he knew that the blond would be more than willing to sit with the two vigilantes until they had secured their trust. But unfortunately there was no time for that, at least in their current location. 

"We have to get out of here, Chan," he said urgently, keeping his voice loud enough that the other two could clearly hear all he was saying; he didn't want to make the defensive one any more suspicious of them. "Someone nearby must have felt the effect of what I did. They'll come to investigate soon enough."

"Right, you're right..." Chan mumbled back thoughtfully, finally tearing his meaningful gaze from the two in front of him to regard Changbin. "Help Sungie, will you?"

Changbin nodded and turned around wordlessly, blocking out the sound of Chan taking the strangers through the same ultimatum they had given Jisung not even twenty-four hours ago: go with the group and learn more or stay where they were. He felt the frown lift from his face and venom dissipate from his eyes as he regarded the quivering figure which was hunched in front of the wall. 

"Sung?" He asked softly, bending down so that they were on the same level. Jisung had folded his knees up to his chest, and blinked at Changbin with with as much fear as the younger vigilante had. "Are you alright? Can you stand?"

"I..." Jisung's voice broke, and Changbin felt his heart throb at the sheer despair in it. "I'm so sorry... I wasn't thinking, and Chan nearly-"

"But he didn't," Changbin interrupted gently, adjusting himself slightly so that Jisung could watch as Chan conversed, albeit tensely, with the other two. 

"I still shouldn't have..."  
  


Letting out a small sigh, Changbin rubbed a hand over his face. He had seen the same conflict in Chan's eyes as they had departed from the van minutes before; they had both shared the reluctance to having Jisung come along with them. By no fault of his own - in fact Changbin thought it was one of the best things about him - Jisung hadn't a fraction of the experience the older two had, and therefore lacked the intuition of when empathy was required, or more importantly, safe. 

Changbin had been able to tell within seconds of landing eyes on Jisung that he was different, and had lived what others at JYP may have called a 'soft life.' Realistically Changbin knew that no one like them could live soft lives, but Jisung hadn't been hardened to the point he was harmful. With one look at the brown-haired stranger behind him who had thrown the dagger, however, Changbin had been able to recognise a threat, and therefore they couldn't yet treat him with the carefree nature they had Jisung. 

"None of this is your fault. Chan and I should've had you stay in the van, and not because we don't trust you-" he added immediately upon seeing Jisung's forlorn look, "-but because of what's happened recently. Heck Sung, you almost died in a fire just last night! Then you discovered that there were others with powers like yours having believed you were alone for your entire life up to this point. Besides, Channie and I weren't exactly the most threatening, were we?"

"You were kind of scary for the first few minutes," Jisung murmured softly, though at least he didn't look as if he was a second away from bursting into tears any more. Changbin decided to let his comment slide just for that. 

"Either way," he said, catching Jisung's gaze and giving him the warmest smile he could. "You wouldn't have had any idea of what we might have been met with, and how our appearance would have been reacted to. There wasn't any way for you to know they were armed, or that they would try to attack you so quickly. It was up to Chan and I to ensure that you were comfortable and safe, and I'm sorry that we weren't able to do that."

As Changbin finished, he became very aware of how silent it had grown behind him, the quiet voices of the others having trailed off in time to hear his previous words. 

He glanced over his shoulder and found Chan looking at him with a sad smile, and knew immediately that the blond agreed that they both could have done more for Jisung in his first little mission with them. The brown-haired one had angled his face to the side, his eyebrows furrowed with something Changbin could only suppose was guilt, while the younger had risen to his feet and was clutching a small laptop to his chest. 

_That must have been what they were talking about before,_ Changbin realised, regarding the device with a newfound befuddlement. JYP had said the tracking and hacking skills of the vigilantes were unlike anything he had ever seen before, yet they were doing it all with a simple laptop? Changbin couldn't see anything else they could have used in the plain, run-down motel room. 

He regarded the holder of the laptop with the newfound curiosity, taking in his dark yet soulful eyes, extremely light hair and button nose. 

_What's your deal, huh?_

Changbin's internal question was only answered by Jisung rising to his feet shakily behind him. He tore his gaze from the stranger and wrapped a reassuringly gentle hand around Jisung's arm, earning a thankful smile from the younger. 

"They're coming with us," Chan said, giving Jisung a warm look of his own. "We'll get something to eat on the way back to the bunker and then figure things out once we get there."

Changbin nodded, although he could feel his exhaustion only growing at the prospect of the second long night ahead of them. The sun had only just set, yet he felt as though he had been awake for days. The physical exertion of using his powers twice within the last day was an exhaustion he hadn't experienced in quite a while, and accompanied with the four hours of sleep and lack of solid food, it was a struggle to keep his eyes open. 

"Are you alright yourself?" Jisung asked quietly, seeming to have shaken off his state of self-depreciation, at least for the moment. Chan led the new pair out of the door first, while Changbin and Jisung followed just behind. 

"Fine," Changbin responded, shooting Jisung a grin. "Just tired. It's been an exhausting twenty four hours, I'm sure you can relate."

Jisung frowned lightly as he mulled over Changbin's words, before his eyes widened and mouth dropped open in realisation. "Oh my god. Twenty four hours, it's been twenty four hours... Do I need to carry you? Should I tell Chan, are you gonna pass out or-"

"We were exaggerating, Sung," Changbin cut in with a (tiny and harmless) lie. "I'll be fine; the adrenaline is enough to keep me going for now. Besides, I have the best room in the bunker waiting for me when I get back."

Jisung rolled his eyes playfully, although Changbin didn't miss the way his concerned frown had softened with relief. The narrowness of the metal steps meant that they had to descend one by one, and Changbin was slightly embarrassed that he was forced to keep a hand on the rail at all times to stay steady and prevent himself from toppling onto the person in front of him. To his gratitude Jisung behind him didn't say anything about it, and the vigilante - 'Innie,' he recalled from the hushed conversation they had heard before chaos had erupted - didn't turn around. 

He let out a small sigh of relief once his feet were securely on the concrete pathway that covered the ground. An eerie night stretched out in front of them, being kept at bay only by the flickering commercial lights of the motel. Nothing had changed other than the darkening of the sky, and Changbin gave a silent thanks that no one had seemed to have been aware of his power usage. The receptionist that the pair had mentioned must have fallen asleep, or somehow not regarded the timeless five seconds with much concern. 

"That's our ride!" Chan said in a chirpy voice, raising a hand to point in the direction of their black van. Changbin and Jisung fell into step to Chan's left, while the other two hovered to his right and followed at a slightly slower pace. Changbin shot them a quick glance to see the brown-haired one eyeing the vehicle with suspicion as they approached, while his partner seemed more curious than anything else. 

It was clear whose trust they would have to work for. 

"I don't think we ever got your names," Changbin said, brightening his tone to make it seem conversational when all he really wanted to do was flop into the back of the van and go to sleep. 

"I'm Jeongin," responded the younger one, who was still clutching the laptop protectively to his chest. His friend's eyes narrowed with disapproval, and Jeongin shrugged simply in response. He turned back to the other three and regarded them with the same inquisitive look, though there was no hostility in his gaze. 

"Great!" Chan's happiness was audible in his voice, and Changbin could visualise the typical Chan-smile he had fixated the two under, judging by the way Jeongin perked up immediately and gave a grin of his own. 

And Changbin could feel his heart _melting._

Before Jeongin had looked slightly out of place with his large eyes and light hair, but as he grew progressively more confident, it was clear that he wasn't a bad person. Despite the rocky first impression, he remained passive and conversational, and even was willing to match Chan in enthusiasm. Changbin felt relieved that he was no longer looking so fearful - it was horrible to imagine that same afraid stare on such a sweet face now.

"So, that's Jeongin and...?" Chan prompted, his tone carefree but his words carrying a hidden weight. He was clearly trying to see where they stood with the other, whose name was still completely unknown, now that Jeongin had conveyed at least a little bit of trust in them by telling them his name. 

There was no response, however, and Jeongin's friend looked at them with no more emotion than before. Changbin wasn't exactly surprised, though he didn't miss how Chan seemed to deflate as he reached into his pocket to grab the key to unlock the van. 

"I'll go in the back again," Changbin announced, feeling none of the bitterness he had on the journey to the motel. He was tired enough to be happy sitting anywhere, and he wanted Jisung with Chan where he would be most comfortable. "You two are with me, I'm afraid, unless you know how to drive?"

Jeongin hopped in uncaringly as Changbin swung the back doors open, while the other stepped into the van with a more cautious air about him. Changbin caught onto how his brown eyes flitted over the blankets and otherwise empty interior of the van, as if he was searching for hidden weapons or things that could be used against them. 

Changbin hated the fact that he understood perfectly. 

Once the other two were inside and had dropped their backpacks onto the floor, Changbin climbed in himself and closed the doors behind them. With the neon lights of the motel now blocked from their sight, the back of the van was thrown into a half-darkness, broken only by the faint glow from the front where Chan and Jisung were making themselves comfortable. 

Changbin paced over to the same side he had taken up on the way, his blankets still in a lifeless mound. He wasted no time in flopping down onto them, sitting up so that his back rested against the wall behind him, and allowing the soft fabric to seep comfort into his aching muscles and the steady pulse that thrummed in his head. His eyes drifted closed to the sound of the engine firing into life, and the subdued hum of the radio that Jisung was playing with in the front, though fortunately the younger had lowered the volume significantly. 

"You never accept my hugs. What's all this about?" A voice murmured quietly, causing Changbin to crack open an eye. 

The two vigilantes had curled up on the opposite side of the van to him, leaning against their backpacks as they sat. Changbin tried not to think about how many daggers were contained in those bags. Jeongin was leaning into the other, who had brought an arm around to accommodate him. The laptop still remained in Jeongin's hands, though within seconds it was sliding down onto the floor as the younger drifted off to sleep. 

Changbin wondered how tired the pair must have been, for Jeongin to be able to settle down in such a way in an unfamiliar van with a group of unfamiliar people. His question was answered when he diverted his attention to the nameless one, however. 

The sharp, emotionless stare that Changbin had begun to associate with the stranger had vanished, only to be replaced by a gaze so soft and caring that Changbin questioned whether they truly were the same person. The male shuffled slightly as if attempting to assume a more comfortable position, though it was futile. He didn't seem to mind, however, as Jeongin remained comfortably asleep in his arms, and Changbin watched with wonder as a small smile graced the other's lips. 

"That smile suits you more than the frown did," Changbin said quietly. His words caused an immediate reaction; the vigilante cooled his expression into an impassive stare as he looked up, somewhat reluctantly, from Jeongin's sleeping form. Changbin didn't miss how his cheeks were dusted with redness, even though his vision was limited in the dark rear of the van. He also took note of the large bags that bruised beneath the other's eyes, and felt his first ounce of pity towards the stranger. 

He also felt something more, a small flicker of an emotion he understood so well, yet didn't know the name of. Chan's gaze seemed to be full of it whenever he looked at Jisung, and now Changbin believed he was feeling the same. 

Because as he watched how the person in front of him had lashed out defensively at first, only to try and disassociate himself and Jeongin as much as possible when their groups joined together, and finally the heart-wrenching care that his little smile held as he looked down at the younger, Changbin realised something. 

He could recognise himself in the stranger. Before Chan had found him, he would regard anything unknown with suspicion and distrust, and would reach out to his powers as soon as he felt he wasn't in control of a situation. The only difference between them was that while Changbin had been entirely alone, this person had Jeongin to look after, and they clearly were fully dedicated to it. 

Before Changbin's weakened muscles had time to complain, he was shuffling off of the little pile of blankets he had seated himself upon. The coldness of the night nipped at his exposed body - there wasn't any heating in the back as Chan and Jisung had in the front. 

Inwardly cursing at how undeniably soft he had grown, Changbin slid the mound of cushioning in the pair's direction. 

_It's Sungie's fault,_ he huffed to himself mentally. _Sungie and his stupidly adorable face._

Cautious eyes flitted between the blankets and Changbin for a moment, though they lacked the hostility that they had before, and instead glinted with bewilderment. Changbin gave the blankets a nudge with his foot as he attempted to make himself comfortable once again, wincing slightly at the feeling of the cold and hard metal against his back. 

"Take them," he said, trying to keep the discomfort from his voice as he struggled to settle. "It's a long ride back. You guys are gonna want to be comfortable."

For a moment he was unsure whether the other would accept his offer, but after a few more seconds of waiting in anticipation, the blankets were dragged further away from him. He managed to ignore the persistent aching of his limbs as he watched one of them be carefully placed over Jeongin's body, allowing only his head to peak out over the top. The rest were used as cushioning for the two, and Changbin felt a small smirk work its way onto his face as he surveyed the almost motherly way the other arranged the blankets, despite how young his features suggested he was. 

Yet despite the softness of his cheeks and the fluffiness of his hair, there was an edge to his eyes that told Changbin he had seen more than anyone of that age should have. 

"Thank you, um..." The vigilante's voice wavered with an unusual hesitance as it broke Changbin from his thoughts. Their eyes met, and Changbin found that they weren't quite as guarded as they had been before. "Changbin, right?"

"Yeah," he responded, giving the friendliest smile he could. "Call me Binnie, if you want. Or Bin. I don't really mind."

"Alright... Call me Seungmin."

"Seungmin," Changbin repeated quietly to himself. Seungmin's expression had tightened into wariness, as if he was anticipating what Changbin would do with the new information, and so Changbin let out a small sigh and shuffled against the hardness of the wall behind him. He allowed his eyelids to droop again, both to show Seungmin that he was trusting enough not to be monitoring him at all times, and also to take a moment to give his mind some rest. "Nice to meet you."

A silence settled over the van, broken only by the quiet murmuring of the radio from the front seats. Chan and Jisung were quiet, whether it was because they had listened in on the fleeting yet meaningful words Changbin and Seungmin had exchanged, or because Jisung had simply fallen asleep. 

Even though Changbin's thoughts were trailing behind him with his exhaustion, and his eyelids felt so heavy he wasn't sure if he would be able to open them if he tried, sleep was impossible to fall into. He was just a little too uncomfortable, his nerves were just a little too alert, and even while his eyes were closed he could see the occasional flash of light across his closed lids from the streetlights they passed. 

He knew that a bed would really be the only place he could rest his body fully in response to over-exerting it; there was more to rest than sleep, after all. The uncomfortable floor of the van, along with its occasionally jittered movements, was hardly the ideal. So instead, Changbin let his mind wander towards the music which stilled hummed along quietly in the background, allowing himself to grow lost in the steady beat and gentle singing. 

An uncertain amount of time passed in which he sat in silence, drifting along with the mindless waves of music that were emitted from the speakers of the van. When it was cut off, however, Changbin found himself regaining awareness just in time to squint up in annoyed confusion as the driver's-side door opened. 

With his peace disturbed, Changbin blinked slowly and brought up a lethargic hand to rub at his eyes. They took a few moments to adjust to the staggered lighting that seeped into the rear of the van, and it didn't help much that his vision was darkening slightly at the edges. 

He could just about make out two figures huddled across from him, and after allowing his thoughts a couple of seconds to catch up, he recognised them as Jeongin and Seungmin. Despite his exhaustion, he couldn't help giving a little grin as he took in their position. 

Seungmin, who had previously been the pillar for Jeongin to lean against, had appeared to have fallen asleep himself. In his state of unawareness, he had allowed them both to fall from their sitting positions so that they were lying flat against the floor of the van - fortunately with the blankets to cushion them. Seungmin's arm remained protectively wrapped around Jeongin's body, who had his face buried into Seungmin's neck so that Changbin could only recognise him via his uniquely light hair. 

_How tired must you have been to fall asleep like that?_ Changbin asked the two mentally, though secretly he knew that he was hardly one to talk. But unfortunately he couldn't afford to sleep in such a position, given that spending so long curled on a hard floor would do nothing for his aching muscles.

Changbin forced himself to his feet, using the wall of the van behind him as support. He braced himself against it for a moment and waited impatiently for the world to cease its spinning, before he pried himself from the wall with a contrasting carefulness and stepped towards the two front seats. Perhaps he could see if Jisung would be willing to swap, just so that Changbin could feel the comfort of the cushioned chairs-

His desire was deemed irrelevant by his mind as soon as he caught sight of the younger. 

Jisung had also fallen victim to the enticing grip of sleep, it seemed, judging by how he had curled up on the chair with his head resting against the projector of his seatbelt. Changbin couldn't see his face from where he was, but the steady rise and fall of Jisung's chest told him enough. 

_Never mind..._

Changbin sighed inwardly at how soft he had grown within just a day of meeting Jisung, but did so without any true venom. It was a side that he wanted to hold onto and cherish, as he had seen what people like him could become if they lost that little flicker of empathy. It made Changbin want to cling to his emotions and act on them as much as he could, and feel everything possible. 

Taking in a deep, steadying breath, Changbin raised his stare from Jisung's sleeping form to survey the sight in front of him through the dusted windshield. 

A small yet colourful convenience store met his gaze. Newspapers were set out in racks just in front of it, and a few people were milling around in the well-lit aisles inside. Changbin squinted as he caught sight of a familiar mop of blond hair, and easily managed to identify Chan, who seemed to have lost his jacket as he wandered around the store in a simple white T-shirt. 

_When did he- oh._

Changbin answered his own question with a quick glance down at Jisung, who had a familiar dark jacket placed over his small form. 

"What's gotten into us, huh?" He said quietly, his low voice layering itself above the silence. He had spent years enduring grueling training and fearful nights with only Chan as comfort, to the extent that he thought they had become hardened just as all of the other JYP forces were - other than their exclusive feelings towards each other. Yet within a day of knowing Jisung, and even less for Jeongin and Seungmin, they were already showing more care than Changbin had thought them capable of. And he couldn't deny the happiness that filled him with. 

"Look at how soppy you are, Bin."

Changbin looked up from Jisung, feeling his warm smile slip off into a flustered frown as he realised that Chan had returned to the van and had been watching. He didn't allow himself to feel embarrassed for long however, as Chan's only stared upon the two with fondness. 

"As if you can talk," Changbin shot back without any bite, nodding down towards Jisung and the jacket that he was snuggled beneath. Chan grinned and shook his head, climbing into the driver's seat and bringing a distinct rustling sound with him. Changbin cocked his head to the side in confusion and blinked away the stars that burst into his vision at the action. "What've you got there?"

"Dinner," Chan responded, handing over a plastic bag. Changbin held it open and looked down at the assortment of instant noodles Chan had purchased from the convenience store, feeling his stomach rumble longingly at the sight of them. 

"Noodles," Changbin observed, tearing his eyes from the containers to give Chan a knowing smirk. "For old time's sake?" 

"You know it," Chan responded with a grin of his own, taking the bag back and placing it at his feet. He spurred the van back into life, so Changbin took it as his signal to sit down again. His body both complained and rejoiced at the knowledge it would be resting against the hard floor again soon. 

Just as Changbin was about to turn and stagger back to his place, Chan called his name softly from the front. He glanced over his shoulder to look at his friend, who was staring back at him with a small, understanding smile on his face. 

"Good job with Seungmin," Chan said quietly, confirming Changbin's suspicion that he had overheard the entire conversation. Changbin gave a single nod in response, and wordlessly returned to slumping on the floor as Chan pulled them out of the quiet parking lot. 

With the small amount of energy he had regained at the sight of his would-be dinner, Changbin found that his eyes were able to stay open for the rest of the journey. He spent most of the time watching the pair as they slept opposite him, continuing to find similarities between his past self and Seungmin in particular. 

He recalled the way Seungmin's eyes had searched desperately for a chance of escape, and how he had been stubbornly reluctant to inform them of anything personal even when Jeongin had revealed his own name. Changbin found himself looking at the brown-haired male in front of him with a newfound understanding, and a flare which he recognised to be the need to protect. Why he was suddenly so determined to keep the pair safe, he wasn't sure, but the feeling had taken over just as quickly as it had with Jisung. 

Changbin told himself that it was just because of their similarities, but another part of him suggested that it was something different. He still didn't know what. 

A familiar harsh grating reached his ears, signaling that they had turned onto the road which led to the bunker. Changbin began to experimentally move his limbs and regain control of them; having sat still for so long in his exhausted state he wanted to make sure that he was able to move, at least fairly normally. 

His attention was captured by a sudden movement in front of him. Seungmin was pushing himself up from where he had lain with Jeongin previously, rubbing at his neck and blinking his eyes. Changbin was tempted to coo at how sleepy and befuddled he looked, finally acting like his age, when Seungmin's searching gaze reached the other side of the van and sharpened. 

_Not friends just yet,_ Changbin thought with disappointment as Seungmin's previously vulnerable expression became closed-off and tight. 

As the movement of the van ceased, he forced himself to his feet, wincing at the continued throbbing of his body and aching of his limbs. His hand shook as he used it to support himself against the wall, feeling his face flush slightly that Seungmin was watching his struggle. He didn't miss the way the other's eyes followed his every fatigued move, but took comfort in the fact there was concern in the Seungmin's gaze as opposed to tactical plotting. 

Concern he could push away. A physical attack, however, may be a little harder. 

"Want to wake up Jeongin?" He said, his words obscured slightly due to the noise of Chan and Jisung exiting the van from the front. Seungmin seemed to get the gist of it nonetheless, and broke eye-contact with Changbin to look down at Jeongin. Changbin's gaze lingered for a moment as Seungmin placed a hand on Jeongin's shoulder and gave it a small shake, leaning down to murmur something into the younger's ear. 

However, as soon as he realised it may be an invasion of privacy, Changbin dragged himself over to the back doors and threw them open. The artificial light of the bunker's garage stung his eyes, and he squeezed them closed for a moment before forcing them to reopen. There was a shuffling behind him, and he recognised the chirp of Jeongin's voice. 

He lowered himself down onto the cold stone floor of the garage and stretched again, though the action did little to soothe his aches. At least their return to the bunker meant Changbin was one step closer to instant noodles and a comfortable bed. He couldn't feel more thankful to his past-self that he had managed to secure the best room. 

"Binnie, look at how much power I have!" Jisung's excited tone caused Changbin to perk up. He watched as Jisung jogged over - fortunately looking well-rested and far less shaken than he had when they had left the motel. He was also waving around the key of the van witch a cheeky grin on his face. 

"How did you get that?" Changbin chucked, craning his neck to search for Chan. He found the blond was nowhere to be seen, however, and glanced back to Jisung for an explanation. 

"Channie gave it to me," Jisung responded with a wink. Changbin made a mental note to never let the younger have anything of significance again because he was insufferable with it. "He went ahead to get the noodles ready and left me in charge of you kids."

Changbin rolled his eyes, but he couldn't keep the smile from his face as he responded, "I'm older than you. Watch your mouth."

"How are you feeling, anyway?" Jisung asked after a moment of good-natured silence. "Did you get any sleep?"

"Yeah," Changbin lied. He quickly tried to move the conversation away from himself and his state of exhaustion by turning back to the van and calling for the pair still inside. "Jeongin, Seungmin! Time to go."

Jisung's mouth dropped open at his words. "You know his name! How'd you manage that?"

"You know how amazing my people skills are, Sung," Changbin answered proudly, folding his arms over his chest and winking himself. It was Jisung's turn to roll his eyes, though he did send both Seungmin and Jeongin a beaming smile as they climbed out of the van a second later. 

They were both shouldering their backpacks, and Jeongin was carrying the computer once again. Changbin wondered why it was so important; it looked like a simple laptop to him, though he recalled the unusual ability the pair had for hacking into security systems that had originally brought them to JYP's attention. It was clearly something important, and hopefully Jeongin and Seungmin would trust them enough to come out about why. 

Changbin's eyes then zeroed in on Seungmin, whose body was partially obscured by the mound of blankets he was struggling to balance in his arms. 

"What are you doing?" Changbin asked, watching as Seungmin stumbled slightly to the side, causing one of the blankets to slide from the pile and fall to the floor with a measly flop. It would have been quite endearing, if Changbin wasn't so confused as to what the brunet was up to. 

"Bringing these," Seungmin stated shortly, nudging the fallen blanket with his foot. Jeongin gave him a cheeky smirk before bending down and elegantly laying it on top of Seungmin's mop of brown hair, who let out a disgruntled sigh. "To sleep with."

His answer didn't help lessen Changbin's puzzlement, and a quick glance at Jisung told him that the other was just as lost as he was. 

"You do realise we have beds and everything here, right?" Jisung said slowly, his voice light yet slightly hesitant. "We're not gonna stop you from bringing them but there isn't really a reason to, especially when you seem to be struggling so much with them."

"I'm not... struggling," Seungmin huffed in response, though Changbin didn't miss how there was a small tremble to his arms as he attempted to continue holding up the weight of the blankets. He was obviously tired himself, and Changbin was so desperate to get to where Chan was supposedly preparing food that he would do anything to speed them up. 

"It's alright, Seungmin," he said, approaching slowly so as not to startle the other, who shot him a searching look. He reached forwards and plucked a few of the blankets from Seungmin's pile, then moved to return them to the back of the van. "We have pretty good rooms here, with proper mattresses and pillows and all of that. There are spare blankets too, if you're worried about the cold, but I'm sure Chan could do something about that himself." 

He threw the blankets he was carrying into the rear of the vehicle, then turned around and nodded at Seungmin. There was considerable hesitance in the other's sharp eyes, but fortunately Jeongin stepped in and gave Seungmin a subtle yet encouraging nudge. Shaking his head, Seungmin stepped forwards and stored his own blankets back inside. 

Changbin closed the doors, and Jisung locked the van with satisfaction. It was as though he had never wielded a car key before, and Changbin realised with a pang of pity that perhaps he hadn't. 

"So... What now? Where's Chan?" Jeongin questioned as Changbin and Seungmin approached. Seungmin shuffled, looking somewhat uncomfortable that Jeongin was already inquiring about the whereabouts of the blond, and Changbin didn't miss the way his eyebrows furrowed. 

"Just follow us, we'll show you the place," Changbin responded, diverting his attention from Seungmin and assuming Chan's usual position at the front to lead their little group out of the garage. "We'll have something to eat, talk a little, and answer any questions you might have. Then you can decide officially whether you'll stay with us or leave, and we'll go from there."

"And sleep!" Jisung added as they entered the surface floor of the bunker. 

Changbin couldn't help watching for the reactions of the other two as they surveyed the run-down interior. Seungmin seemed to be carefully controlling his expression so as not to let any emotions seep through, while Jeongin observed the room with an open, unsurprised look. The difference in their reactions compared to Jisung's spoke volumes; they were accustomed to living in such conditions, while Jisung had appeared (quite amusingly) horrified at the thought. Changbin didn't feel any humour now, however, and only sympathy at the thought of where the younger two must have had to live, along with some unwanted memories of his own trying to claw back into his consciousness. 

"It's... nice?" Jeongin's voice rose as if he was asking a question, and Jisung gave a hearty laugh. 

"It is, isn't it? Don't worry though, there's more."

He took over Changbin's job of leading them, a newfound perk to his step as they approached the simple door which opened into the lift. Changbin grinned fondly as he watched the other - Jisung was clearly enjoying getting to show off their residence, despite having only moved in earlier that day. Part of him wondered how Jisung would react upon seeing the innovative and advanced headquarters of JYP, but he pushed the thought away before he could dwell on it, or its complications. 

"What is this?" Seungmin asked, and Changbin immediately recognised the suspicion that glinted in his eyes as he watched Jisung step into the small room. 

"A lift," Changbin replied, deciding to keep it simple. He entered himself, followed by Jeongin a second later, though Seungmin remained hovering beside the doorway. "It's safe, and there's nothing we could do against you in here. We're unarmed, unlike you, and we would have done something much sooner if we wanted to hurt you."

Seungmin paused for a moment, as if he was validating Changbin's words, and then stepped in himself. Changbin gave him a fleeting smile and clasped his hands in front of them so that they were clearly visible, and greatly anticipated the noodles which he would get to eat in just a few minutes. They hadn't been allowed such food at JYP, so he had only been able to eat them when he was outside with Chan and going undercover for a mission, or- 

"Bin?"

"Hm?" Changbin hummed and turned to Jisung questioningly. The younger watched him with expectant eyes, and when it became clear he wasn't going to say anything else, Changbin continued, "What is it?"

Jisung frowned for a moment in disbelief before saying, "Aren't you going to get the lift moving?"

Changbin stared for well over five seconds, long enough that Jeongin began shuffling uncomfortably and Jisung had taken a good few steps back. 

_Oh no..._

Feeling his face twist into a grimace, Changbin brought a hand up to slap himself half-heartedly. How had he forgotten? And how had Chan forgotten? Were they both really so tired that they hadn't remembered something so trivial yet vital? 

"What's wrong...?" Jisung asked hesitantly as Changbin rubbed dejectedly at his face. 

"Chan has the key card," Changbin mumbled in an exhausted drawl, pointing a dejected finger in the direction of the little pulsating light on the wall beside the door they had entered in. It seemed to blink condescendingly, as if to remind him that they had truly messed up, and taunt him for the dinner that he was missing. "We can't move the lift without it."

"Do you... do you not have one yourself?" Jisung's voice had risen considerably as if he was verging on panic. "JYP didn't give you one?"

"Who's JYP?" Jeongin murmured quietly into the silence, though his question went unanswered. Changbin never wanted to talk about that man, especially when he had just been denied the chance to eat noodles for however long it would take Chan to realise they were trapped on the top floor with no way to get down. 

He grimaced, lowering his arm and blinking apologetically at Seungmin and Jeongin, who stared back at him with matching expressions of bewilderment. He might have felt pleased that he had received such an emotional stare from the latter, but he wasn't in the mood to indulge in that. 

"Sorry, guys... Looks like we're stuck here until Chan realises what's happened. I swear we're not normally this disorganised; we're just really tired." 

Jeongin looked as though he were about to shrug off Changbin's apology when Jisung spoke, his eyes desperate. Changbin thought he must be just as hungry and tired as he felt, if he were so keen to get down. 

  
"Can I try using my powers?" He proposed hopefully. Seungmin's gaze focused on Jisung at that, and even Jeongin seemed slightly more alert at the mention of their abilities, which had hovered unmentioned around the group like a lingering fog. 

"I'm sorry, but it doesn't work like that, Sung..." Changbin responded regretfully, slumping as Jisung's face fell. He hated to put the younger down when he clearly was so keen to do things to help, but he knew that there was no way Jisung could get it working given how the lift's control worked, and they would only risk setting the bunker alight with misconducted energy. "It's not out of battery or anything... It just needs a nudge in the right direction, you know?"

Jisung nodded forlornly and diverted his gaze to the ground. 

"It just needs a command?" Jeongin questioned, his voice lacking any of the resignation that Changbin and Jisung's had contained. Changbin almost missed it; Jeongin slipped forwards with such quietness that he hadn't even noticed the other as he moved. But suddenly Changbin's view of the light was obstructed by Jeongin, who was bending down and examining it with obvious curiosity. 

"Um..." Changbin cleared his throat and shot a look in Seungmin's direction, hoping to gather a clue as to what Jeongin was doing from his partner. However, Seungmin simply watched with an unbothered expression as Jeongin continued to observe the little indicator, and so Changbin was left just as confused as before. "I guess? Just to get down to the layer below, nothing much." 

Jeongin gave a pleased hum as he straightened up. He tucked the laptop under his left arm, thus freeing his right hand to press it against the light. 

And then, with a jerk, the lift began to move downwards. 

Changbin's eyes widened, and his feet moved themselves impulsively forwards so that he could get a closer look. Jisung was whispering something rapidly under his breath while Seungmin remained neutral, though perhaps slightly apprehensive now that Jeongin had revealed... whatever it was he could do. 

Frowning to himself, Changbin surveyed the younger from his new position standing just by his side. Jeongin's right hand covered the little light, but the mere movement of the lift confirmed that he had done something to it, as if his hand was a key-card itself. 

He was aware of the wall opposite giving way to the rest of the bunker, and the way Jeongin's eyes lit up with excitement as it did, but couldn't pay much attention to that when all of his focus was concentrated on Jeongin's right hand as he lowered it to his side. How Changbin hadn't noticed it before he wasn't sure, but the center of Jeongin's palm was entirely composed of metal. It didn't carry through to the back of his hand, but made up for its slimness with the sheer delicacy of how it seemed to have been constructed. Changbin couldn't even begin to try and count how many lines littered the shining surface, or the tiny beams of light that travelled through the cords as if it was a miniature train system. 

"Oh, there you guys are! I was beginning to get worried," Chan's voice carried over from the direction of the kitchen. 

Jeongin brought the laptop back up to his chest, thus hiding the intricate piece of metal from view, and shot Changbin a smile. Changbin easily recognised that it wasn't something to talk about just yet, and he could feel Seungmin's stare weighing into his back, and so he forced an unbothered expression onto his face as he looked away from Jeongin to stare pointedly at Chan. 

"Bang Chan, care to tell me why you left us stranded up there without a key card?" He asked purposefully, unable to keep himself from smirking as Chan's face fell.

"Oh my god... I did, didn't I?"

"Yes!" Jisung cried, seeming to catch on that they weren't supposed to show much reaction to Jeongin's little showcase of power. "In front of our new guests, too!"

"Ah jeez..." Chan groaned, leaning back on the chair he was sitting at. Changbin realised with a jolt of happiness that the blond had pushed some extra chairs around one of the small tables, and had set five steaming cups of noodles onto its surface. His stomach gave a growl of approval. "I swear I'm not always this disorganised. It's just been a hectic day, you know?"

"That's exactly what Changbin said, though I can't find myself keen to believe either of you," Seungmin responded as they began to make their way over. Chan perked up at the extended response from the previously short-spoken individual, and gave a wide grin at the slight joking tone that the other had used. 

Changbin couldn't help but give his own smile as he sat down on one of the chairs, though perhaps it was simply because he was finally getting to eat and try to replenish at least some of his energy. Jisung flopped into one of the seats beside him, while Seungmin took the other with considerably more restraint. 

"I hope you guys don't mind instant noodles," Chan started a conversation as they began to tuck in. "You were asleep and I didn't want to disturb you to ask what you'd like. We'll get more ingredients in eventually and can have better meals if you want."

"Instant noodles are the best any meal could be," Jisung said quietly, earning a nod of agreement from Changbin. 

Jeongin gave a small laugh, and Changbin smiled into his noodles at the sound. One of the first things Changbin had noticed about Jeongin's voice was that it had a certain airiness to it, as if it was suited for telling jokes and making mischief. It was pleasant to hear. 

"This is more than we've had for ages, really. Warm food's kind of a rarity for us," Jeongin said, though his carefree tone didn't convey any of the sorrow that Changbin noticed on Seungmin's face. He could easily see the regret that shone in Seungmin's eyes, and the way his grip tightened slightly on his chopsticks. Changbin tried to fight down his sudden urge to place a comforting hand on the other's leg under the table, but decided against it. 

Chan seemed to leap upon Jeongin's words, thrilled by how chatty the younger was being already. "Well, if you feel like your noodles are getting cold at all, just let me know. I can handle that for you!"

"Oh yeah!" Jeongin's eyes lit up, subsequently causing both Chan and Jisung to brighten as well. "Can I ask about that? Like, what you guys do?"

"Well-" Chan began, though was cut off a second later by Jeongin's continued rambling. 

"Because when you guys first came into the room, Jisung said something about being able to charge our computer? Then Changbin just emerged and did all of that crazy stuff, thank you for saving me from falling by the way-" Changbin gave a small wave of acknowledgement. "-And you can warm things up, I guess? Changbin also mentioned that you could figure something out if we got cold at night or something."

It was impressive to say the least; Jeongin clearly remembered every word that had been said by the others, with a level of precision that made Changbin wonder whether the strange piece of metal in his hand had anything to do with it. 

Seungmin shuffled on Changbin's side, pushing his cup of noodles away. Changbin knew that he couldn't have finished, since he had been wolfing down his own and was yet to get halfway through. 

"Wow, you picked up on a lot," Chan said, apparently having thought the same thing that Changbin had. Jeongin shrugged, though he had turned into a bit of a flustered mess at the praise. Chan had that effect on people. "We'll be happy to tell you anything you want to know. For example, you guessed right about me. I can warm things up, cool them down... manipulate heat, I suppose you could say. I'm not quite sure how well I'd be able to keep you guys at a comfortable temperature at night like Binnie said, but I wouldn't be opposed to trying!"

Jeongin nodded vigorously at Chan's words, reminding Changbin of how Jisung had absorbed any information they had given him when they first met. He kept a watchful eye on Seungmin too, and found the other was paying just as much attention, though significantly more discreetly with his stare of concentration and the stillness of his body. 

"I'm like a battery!" Jisung took over from Chan, causing Jeongin to redirect his captured attention. "I can charge anything electrical, and if I touch something with an electrical current I can... mess with it, I guess?"

"You seem a lot less certain about your capabilities than Chan was," Seungmin observed before Jeongin could respond. 

Jisung smiled sheepishly and broke eye contact, suddenly appearing extremely interested in the noodles in front of him. "Yeah, uh... I didn't train like he did or anything. I just tried keeping my powers at bay so I don't know what I can do exactly."

"Binnie and I both came from a... group, I suppose you could say, which takes in people like us and helps them harness their abilities and use them for good," Chan explained, picking up on the small frown that shadowed Seungmin's features and the intrigued tilt of Jeongin's head. "We actually met Sungie for the first time last night, when he got into a bit of trouble because of his powers. People like us have to stick together, so we brought him along."

"They love me now," Jisung added proudly, earning a jokingly skeptical glance from Changbin. 

"We do," Chan said happily, and Changbin almost choked on his mouthful as Jisung grew flustered and stammered something inaudible as he raised his cup of noodles to hide his reddening face. 

Jeongin let out another pleasantly breathy laugh as he looked at Jisung from across the table. "Really? I thought you guys would have been friends for years with how you act around each other."

Changbin couldn't help but agree. It had taken him at least half a year to finally allow Chan to visit him in his dorm at JYP's headquarters, which he had previously kept locked away to any other trainees. He never would have expected that those same walls which Chan had taken so long to bypass would fold away without a whimper in front of Jisung, yet they had. And now Changbin was already feeling himself warming to Jeongin, and there was still that flicker of unexplainable understanding and brotherhood that he felt towards Seungmin. 

Chan certainly knew what he was talking about when he said that they had to stick together. 

_Bonding because of what we're cursed with,_ Changbin thought drily to himself.

"Can you tell us more about this 'group?'" Seungmin asked, his words cutting through the carefree and teasing atmosphere which Chan and Jisung had built up, along with Jeongin's giggling. 

"Well," Chan cleared his throat and clasped his hands on the table in front of him, effectively wiping the smile from his face to be replaced by his signature earnest stare. "The group itself is called JYP, after the man who leads it. No one knows his real name. He tracks down and takes in people like us, then analyses our powers and helps us work them into a fit state where we can live without fear of them, and even use them to fight, or help in other ways." 

Seungmin's gaze flittered to Changbin, who met it evenly, despite the twinge of nervousness he felt. Someone so young and so soft-looking should not be so intimidating, really. 

"And you trained there too?"

"I joined a few years after Chan did," Changbin responded, meeting Chan's eye from across the table. "You guys saw what I could do back at the motel, but I can pretty much freeze time for five seconds within a ten meter radius." 

"So this... JYP guy," Jeongin began hesitantly, his gaze flitting between Chan and Changbin with obvious cautiousness. There was an unspoken instinct that powers should be kept entirely secret, and so Changbin imagined that both he and Seungmin felt unnerved to know that there was an entire community built around those that had them. "Is he nice?"

Changbin finished his noodles and swallowed harshly, both in finality of his meal and to try and be rid of the lump which had caught in his throat. Jeongin's eyes were just so hopeful, much as Jisung's had been, and neither he nor Chan wanted to recount much of their pasts if it meant extinguishing that precious innocence. At least Changbin didn't feel as though they had to shield Seungmin, who carried around that sense of jumpiness which no one of his age should have to be burdened with. 

"He always wanted us to be able to use our powers to our full capabilities," Chan answered finally, and Changbin felt himself slump slightly in relief that he hadn't been required to comment. "He wasn't the kindest person, but there are people out there who are far worse."

"Of course," Seungmin said measuredly, appearing content with the response he had received. Changbin couldn't help but pick up on a flicker of something in the other's expression, the way it tensed for a moment as if pained by a memory. 

_What happened to you?_ He asked internally, though glanced away the moment Seungmin looked as though he was about to turn. 

"How come you guys are here, then?" Jeongin continued to question. They had now finished their meal, and all were beginning to lean back into their chairs with contentment and sleepiness - other than Seungmin, who remained as poised as ever. "Why'd you leave something like that?"

"Binnie and I wanted to live our own life," Chan said, sharing a warm look with Changbin that the others may have interpreted as excitement for the future, but that the pair knew truly was thankfulness. "We trained a lot, worked well for JYP, and eventually managed to forge a deal where we could leave and do our own thing, just on the edge of their knowledge."

"You found us through their technology, then?" Seungmin asked the question that Changbin had been waiting for. The vigilantes had obviously been doing their best to be discreet and cover their tracks while running rogue, and so it was only natural that Seungmin would want to know how they were discovered. 

"That's right..." Chan replied somewhat hesitantly. "But only because JYP knows what to look for. And it took him a while to identify and properly locate you guys, it was unlike anything we'd ever seen before."

Jeongin smiled proudly, and Changbin's eyes landed on the computer that he had kept on his lap while they were sitting.

"If we join you will we be associated with them too?" Seungmin's voice had taken on a new suspicious edge, and Jeongin frowned nervously at his friend's tone. 

The effect of Seungmin's question was instantaneous; Chan leaned forwards abruptly in his chair as his expression took on a hardened determination, while Jisung perked up from where he looked to have been on the verge of dozing off. 

"You'll never have to do anything you don't want to," Chan said. He spoke with raw passion, and even someone who was as seemingly unwilling to trust as Seungmin wouldn't have been able to doubt the promise in Chan's words. "If you want to go to JYP headquarters, we'll let you. If you want to stay with us, we'll let you, and if you want to leave then we'll let you. But as we are here, we're as far away as we can be from them while they know of our existence. The only thing that would get Binnie and I to contact them would be an emergency. We wouldn't otherwise."

That hadn't been something they'd told Jisung originally, and Changbin was suddenly filled with a nervousness that Jisung would ask to be taken to the headquarters. It was no secret that the younger was desperate to learn more about his abilities and how to control them, along with the most constructive way to use them, and unfortunately JYP was the best place to do so. Changbin wasn't sure if he could live with that, however, and a quick observation of how Chan was nibbling on his lip was enough to know that the blond was feeling the same. 

Though much to Changbin's relief, Jisung didn't show much of a reaction, and began mindlessly fiddling with his chopsticks as Seungmin and Jeongin seemed to share a silent conversation as they considered what Chan had said. 

"You guys don't even have to decide now," Changbin told them eventually, watching as they broke their eye-contact to glance at him. "You can stay the night, or however many nights you want, and then after being around us for a while decide what you want to do. We're not going to control you or force you into anything." 

Seungmin's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer than Jeongin's did, but before long the two were wordlessly conversing once again. 

"We can leave if you guys want to talk-"

"We'll stay," Seungmin interrupted Jisung's offer with a hint of reluctance; it was obvious who had been arguing for which option. Jeongin beamed, and Changbin didn't miss the accompanying smile that Seungmin directed at the younger before wiping it from his face to look at Chan. "As long as we are free to do whatever we want, and leave whenever we want."

Chan lit up visibly at that, his face stretching into a smile and any of the previous anxiety rolled from his shoulders to dissipate into nothingness. 

"Great!" He exclaimed, shooting both Changbin and Jisung a pleased look. Jisung grinned in return and even went as far as reaching over to ruffle Jeongin's hair, causing the younger to swat at his hand playfully. Changbin struggled to act quite as excited, when there was still a strange sense of foreboding that he felt unable to be rid of. 

"I guess... You guys want to know what I can do as well?" Jeongin asked, his bright face conveying none of the worry Seungmin's suddenly was. 

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Chan assured him, though Jeongin shrugged his shoulders noncommittedly. 

"It's fine. You guys trusted us enough, so I'll do the same." He raised his right hand, and Changbin felt his breath stutter as Jeongin showed off his palm to the rest of the table. If Changbin had expected the piece of metal to be any different having been unused for a while, he was wrong. Little lights continued to whiz around thin carvings on the shining surface as if they had a mind of their own, and now beneath the brightness of the ceiling lamps Changbin was able to make out even more nooks and miniscule switches than he had before. 

Chan let out a soft 'wow,' while Jisung's eyes shone in wonder. Seungmin watched on wearily, and so Changbin kept himself from leaning as far in as his friends had done, almost unconsciously. 

"Is this how you were able to get the lift working?" Jisung asked, pointing a hesitant finger towards Jeongin's plate. 

"It is," came the answer, and Jeongin grinned at the others' reactions, showing off his dimples. "I've had it since I was born, but I never knew why. I was just told that it had saved my life and that was all, but... I almost have this connection with it. As if it's linked to my mind somehow, I can scan it against anything, hold it against any computer or device... and it just navigates me through, showing me whatever I want, with no worry about passwords or anything like that."

Chan and Changbin exchanged a glance, understanding filling both of them at Jeongin's words. That explained how as vigilantes the pair had always been able to know little details, hack into security and then carry on to erase any trace of themselves, and why they had been so difficult to track. 

"It almost feels as if it's part of me... Is that weird?" Jeongin asked into the silence, bringing his hand back beneath the table. 

Despite how self-conscious the other looked following his confession, Changbin could do nothing other than agree. While he had despised his powers, feared them and what they did to him, there was also a strange longing to use them. The calmness that overcame him once he initiated them was unlike anything he had ever experienced before, and even though they took a toll on him physically, those five seconds felt like an eternity in which he didn't have to worry about a thing. 

And whether he liked it or not, he had saved lives using them, including Chan's just hours before. 

"It doesn't sound weird at all, Innie," Chan said, his eyes crinkling with fondness as Jeongin beamed at his use of the nickname. "We're all the same here. We all have abilities, and we're the only people who will ever be able to understand what it feels like to have them, whether you view it as a blessing or a curse. Or a little bit of both."

Both Jeongin and Jisung seemed entirely enchanted by what Chan had said, and were staring at him with a mixture of admiration and wonder. Changbin smirked upon seeing how Chan had landed himself with two excitable yet sweet kids, and seemed to have developed his own mother-bird instincts in regards to them himself. 

He glanced at Seungmin to gauge what the other's reaction was, and felt hope bloom within him when he found that the usually narrowed and sharp eyes were softened and even shining with a new warmth. 

And then, Chan made the mistake of asking, "What about you, Seungmin?"

The stable, peaceful atmosphere vanished within a second as Seungmin tensed, his relaxed posture being traded for a defensive one. Changbin grimaced as Seungmin's face went slack, clearly having some sort of internal debate with himself, before he pursed his lips and glanced away pointedly. 

"I'm sorry... I don't think... I'm sorry."

"It's fine, you don't have to say yet," Changbin assured him, shooting Chan a pointed glance which he hoped was readable as 'I'll handle this.' The blond looked as though he was about to cry at Seungmin's sudden denial, though thankfully Jisung reached under the table to place a comforting hand on his thigh. Changbin looked back at Seungmin, who continued to stare at the table with an unreadable expression. "I think we're all tired, and should go to sleep."

Jisung yawned widely, and Changbin thanked the younger silently for how easily he was going along with Changbin's clear attempts to diffuse the sudden tension. "Yeah, I'm so tired. Are you two alright to share a room? There are only four in here, and Changbin's a pig who's hogging the biggest for himself."

"Oi!" Changbin scolded, though he was more than happy to do more to try and cover up the little stutter in their conversation. "But Jisung's right- about everything other than the last part. The rooms have two beds in each though, so there's more than enough room."

"We're happy to share!" Jeongin offered instantaneously, shooting a pleading look at Seungmin, who finally raised his gaze from the table. "Right, Seung?"

Seungmin nodded simply, gnawing on his lower lip. Chan clapped his hands together and stood, his movement cutting through the thoughts of everyone at the table and spurring them into action. 

"Right, let's head off, then. Jisung and I can show you to the rooms, and we'll give you guys a proper tour in the morning. Bin, if you could clean this up?" He asked, earning an eyeroll from Changbin which lacked any true spite. 

Jisung and Jeongin were quick to rise, while Seungmin took a while longer to get to his feet, carefully maneuvering the chair as if desperate to keep it from making any noise. Changbin watched observantly, taking note of how the other's fists curled at his sides and one of his feet tapped anxiously against the floor. And then he found himself speaking without properly processing his own words. 

"Can you help out with clearing the table, Seungmin?"

Seungmin's head shot up at Changbin's words, and Changbin found himself fixated beneath a familiar searching stare. Seungmin continued to look at him wordlessly, and while there wasn't any hostility in his expression, he clearly was trying to figure out what Changbin was thinking. He only broke eye-contact when the others began to move, Jisung and Chan taking a backpack each and Jeongin tagging along behind with his laptop. 

"I'll be fine, Seung," Jeongin spoke before Seungmin could even open his mouth, shooting him a reassuring smile. "Now, be a good guest and help out our host!"

Changbin couldn't prevent the small laugh that left his lips, both at Jeongin's comment and the look of betrayal Seungmin angled after the boy as they departed. Jisung was proudly marching ahead and telling them about the rooms that he and Changbin had discovered while waiting for Chan to make lunch together earlier that day, and Changbin did hear a few muttered insults towards him for his own choice. 

Only when they turned the corner did Seungmin turn around, having previously been watching their steadily retreating backs with his muscles poised as if he was ready to rush forwards. It wasn't the best sign, but Changbin was relieved that at least he had allowed Chan to carry the backpack which contained all of the daggers, leaving him effectively unarmed and alone with Changbin. 

"Let's get this done, then!" Changbin spoke decisively into the silence. He stepped forwards and grabbed the mostly empty cups of noodles, looking down at the remaining contents of Seungmin's with disapproval. "Do you want any more?"

Seungmin shook his head silently, though he did approach the table and follow Changbin's lead by picking up the chopsticks. Changbin moved towards the kitchen, and felt Seungmin's presence at his back as he tipped the cups of noodles into the bin. The sound of running water cut through the silence that had settled over them, and Changbin straightened to look at the other with a troubled frown on his face. 

Having felt such an unexplainable yet strong connection to Seungmin, Changbin had thought that perhaps getting some time alone would provoke them into connecting, or at least he would be able to help the younger loosen up a little. However, as he watched Seungmin briskly run the chopsticks under the tap and refuse to do so much as glance up, Changbin realised how absolutely clueless he was as to what he should do. 

It was as though he was back in that small convenience store again, with the windows smashed in and himself cornered on all sides. He could feel the fear paralysing his body, yet also making him so desperate to move that the adrenaline and need to run caused his breathing to quicken and spiral out of control. His powers had twitched hopefully within him, still so underdeveloped and young, and he had tried to let them loose but to no avail. Filled with distrust, terror, and most of all loneliness, he had been found. 

While Seungmin may not have been alone when they came across him in the motel room, there was a look to him that Changbin could relate to with every element of his being. Chan had been with JYP since he was a child, and had effectively grown up there, while Changbin had lived his early years alone and hardened on the streets. 

And then, Changbin realised what had drawn him to Seungmin. It also became blissfully clear what he had to do. 

"I really like noodles, you know," he said when Seungmin switched off the tap. A pair of brown eyes glanced at him for a second, before Seungmin turned back to his work as he grabbed the kitchen towel and began drying the chopsticks, along with his hands. 

While he didn't respond, he didn't shoot down Changbin's attempt at conversation, and so Changbin took that as a sign he could continue. 

"I was actually out shopping for noodles when Chan found me. He was the one who took me into JYP in the first place," Changbin carried on, keeping his voice light and chatty as Seungmin searched through the drawers to find where the chopsticks were kept. When he finally straightened up, Changbin nodded in the direction of the couch. "Sit with me?"

For a moment he feared that Seungmin would deny and wander off to his room without giving Changbin a chance, but fortunately he shrugged and followed as the older paced over. The tiredness that had clung to Changbin's mind was beginning to return, having previously been chased off by the delicious noodles, but he powered through it and flopped onto one side of the couch. 

It was designed for three people, and unsurprisingly Seungmin sat on the opposite end, putting as much distance in between them as he could. Changbin sighed contentedly at the softness of the furniture and shuffled to get into a more comfortable position, ending up with his back against the armrest behind him and legs crossed in front of him. It was easier to see Seungmin that way, who sat awkwardly on the couch as if he had never seen one before. Changbin would have laughed and teased him, but knew that wasn't quite the effect he wanted to have at that moment. 

"You know," he started slowly, "When Chan brought me in I thought I was completely alone in the world. Because I didn't know anyone else with abilities like mine, and because of the reaction of my family when they discovered them... Well. I thought no one would ever love me. That I wouldn't belong anywhere."

Seungmin didn't give any reaction to Changbin's words, though it was obvious that he was listening intently by the way he had cocked his head towards the other end of the couch. 

"My family and I... I was with them until I was around ten years old, and then was made to leave," he carried on, doing his best not to grow lost in those particular memories. "It was a really scary time. I was young and didn't know what to do about my own powers. I missed my parents, and I was terrified of everything. Living in alleyways and feeding off of whatever I could steal wasn't the best lifestyle, but I didn't know what else to do. It was isolating."

"How long?" Seungmin asked quietly. "How long did you live like that?"

"Five years and fourty four days."

Seungmin bowed his head, as if paying respect to the years of life Changbin had lost during his adolescence. "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry for." Changbin shrugged, maintaining his unbothered tone. "I can only remember the days exactly because keeping count was the only way for me to monitor time. It felt like they all just merged together, and really most of the details of that time are forgotten to me now. It was just the same pitiful lifestyle, where I would use my powers to sneak into a deserted store in the middle of the night, get myself something to eat, and then be so exhausted that I'd spend the next twenty-four hours sitting next to some bins and eating whatever I managed to get.

"The only thing I really remember from that time was when Chan showed up. He looked a lot younger, was pretty small and skinny, and didn't smile nearly as much. And I was absolutely terrified of him, because he suddenly showed up in the shop I was robbing with around twenty armed people behind him, and told me we could be friends." Changbin grinned at the memory - it was something that both he and Chan laughed about now, despite how scared they had both been at the time. "He has a habit of throwing himself into one's life with a bang, doesn't he?"

Much to Changbin's surprise, Seungmin let out a small huff of amusement. It was the first time Changbin had gotten anything other than a blank stare or conflicted frown from the other, and so he smiled and pushed himself up on the couch with a newfound energy. 

"It was quite dramatic, how you guys introduced yourselves," Seungmin said, though his posture had relaxed slightly as he leant back into the cushioning of the couch. "I'm... sorry for reacting as I did. Does Jisung hate me?"

Changbin blinked, struggling to process that he was no longer having a one-sided conversation, and also the sudden guilty look that had passed over Seungmin's face. He was now sinking into the couch as if to try and hide himself, his shoulders folding in towards his chest. 

"Jisung... I don't think Jisung could hate anyone," Changbin responded once he remembered Seungmin was waiting for a reply. "He was just scared, but I'm sure he won't hold it against you. It's been a rough twenty four hours for him."

"What happened?"

A low whistle passed from Changbin's lips, and he brought a hand up to rub his temple as the memory of the burning house and dark, falling figure came back to him. "It's... not a story for me to tell, as I was only really a bystander to it. There was a microwave involved, though. It was pretty wacky." 

The only reaction from Seungmin was a subtle raise of his eyebrows, but Changbin picked up on it nonetheless. He had opened his posture up as well, as if Changbin's answer had relaxed him regarding the unsteady beginning to his relationship with Jisung. However, there was a glint of something in Seungmin's eyes as he began to fiddle with his hands in his lap, and Changbin could recognise his expression easily as hesitant. He sank back into the couch himself leant his head on the armrest behind him, allowing his legs to stretch out and take up the empty space between them. 

"Can I ask...?" Seungmin trailed off, his velvety voice taking on an unfamiliar shyness. Changbin hummed in encouragement. "Please, if you wouldn't mind... Can you tell me more? About you and Chan, and all of that?"

Changbin hesitated for a moment; his time at JYP wasn't something that he wanted to focus on particularly, especially with someone he had only just met. Though as he gazed upon the nervousness in the way Seungmin glanced at him from time to time, his soft features finally losing their hardened edge, he found the request impossible to deny. 

"Well... I was taken back to their headquarters, fairly out of it," Changbin recalled aloud. The fatigue which he felt now didn't even begin to compare to the exhaustion which would possess him during the early years of discovering his powers. "I was taken into medical care there, and was visited by Chan and JYP himself, who told me about what they did and who they were."

"And what was that?"

"That they understood what I was going through, and if I stayed with them I would be taught how to help people with my powers, and not be harmed so severely by them. I was so alone at the time, and there was just something about Chan... He made me feel like I finally belonged with someone, you know?"

Seungmin nodded, meeting Changbin's gaze for a moment. There was a weight hiding behind his eyes, an acknowledgement of how alone their abilities made them feel in the world, and how it could only be lessened by others like them. 

Perhaps that was when Changbin realised Seungmin and Jeongin would stay with them in the long run. 

"I was so weak back then," he said, picking at the fraying edges of one of the cushions resting on the couch to occupy himself. "I barely got enough to eat on the streets and was in a constant state of exhaustion. But then I was trained, and I learned new things about my powers, even if it was hard to do so at the time. Without Chan I don't think I could have kept going.

"And you know what's strange?" He continued, finding himself slightly shocked that he was willing to confess so much to the person sitting opposite him. Seungmin nodded however, his face calm as he listened to the memories Changbin was sharing. "Chan told me that I'd saved him, at the time. That he had felt alone himself, and was losing the will to keep fighting. He said that finding a friend in me gave him hope, and that he didn't feel as isolated anymore. I still don't think that, to this day, he understands how much he did for me himself." 

Seungmin reached across and took a cushion of his own, resting it on his lap. He traced little patterns into the fabric, and the two were content to sit in a peaceful silence for a couple of minutes. 

Then, Seungmin asked, "Do you love him?"

"Undoubtedly," Changbin responded. "I am who I am today because of him, as are my powers. _Everything_ I am is because of Chan, and I'll be eternally grateful for him finding me and taking me into JYP, even if the place was uptight and I wasn't allowed to eat instant noodles." 

Seungmin gasped dramatically and Changbin grinned, feeling the same flutter of happiness that he had managed to get such a reaction from the other. The playful atmosphere cooled quickly, however, as a sad look passed over Seungmin's face. His hands stilled on the cushion, and he looked as though he was having yet another internal debate with himself. Changbin hoped that one day he wouldn't feel the need to filter his words in such a way. 

"That sounds nice... To have someone with powers with you while you're developing your own," he said eventually with a wistfulness to his voice. "Innie and I met a couple of years ago, and by then I had already harnessed my powers by myself."

Changbin watched the younger for a moment, observing how he still seemed relatively relaxed despite speaking his first detailed words about himself. And so, he decided to make a bold move, and stretched out his legs so that they rested on the cushion on Seungmin's lap as he said, "Tell me about it."

"Only if you get your stinky feet away from me."

"Hey!" Changbin cried, feeling his mouth fall open. "I already get enough harassment from Jisung. I don't understand what it is about you youngers insulting your elders; Chan is the only one who treats me with any respect!"

Taking the insult had been worth it, however, just to see the genuine smile on Seungmin's face as he laughed. 

_That's more like it,_ Changbin thought, watching with fondness. He had always thought Seungmin's gentle features would be much better suited to such a happy expression, rather than his usual tense one. 

Seungmin gradually regained his composure, though much to Changbin's gratitude he didn't push the other's feet from his cushion, and even went as far as to rest a somewhat hesitant hand on Changbin's ankle. "I guess, um... I should start from the beginning."

"You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to," Changbin hurried to reassure him, noticing the shadow of doubt which flittered across Seungmin's face. "Seriously. Don't feel like you have to just because I asked."

However, Seungmin shook his head and glanced over, meeting Changbin's eyes with such intensity that Changbin's breath stuttered. It was as if every barrier Seungmin had forced between them had been taken down, and his entire face seemed to plead for Changbin's attention.

"I want to," he said, his voice unwavering. "I need to talk to someone about it. I never burdened Innie because I didn't want to make him upset, or scared about how we might be treated, but..."

"I understand," Changbin breathed, finally uttering the words which he had wanted to say to the younger since the moment they had stepped into the van at the motel. "You can trust me."

Seungmin cleared his through lightly, and kept his grip on Changbin's ankle as if to root himself. "Alright, um... I suppose my father was- is... Kim Jeongwoo." 

"Who's that?"

Seungmin's head whipped up and he gaped at Changbin in disbelief. Changbin found himself growing slightly uncomfortable under the stare, and the way Seungmin blinked at him as if he had just confessed to originating from a different solar system. "You don't know him? Kim Jeongwoo, head of Kim Industries? The huge transnational company?"

"I can't say I do," Changbin said slowly as he grimaced. JYP had always kept the information that they were given limited only to what was relevant for missions, and so Changbin didn't know much about important figures who weren't in JYP's files. 

"You must be the only one in the country not to," Seungmin scoffed, though his disdain wasn't directed towards Changbin, who suddenly had a hunch that Seungmin wasn't too fond of his father. "He's a big deal, unfortunately, and has a reputation to uphold. You can probably imagine how horrified he was when one of his acts with a prostitute resulted in her pregnancy and my birth." 

Changbin pursed his lips. He didn't know much about the world of business, or the specific people who played vital roles, but he could imagine the spot Seungmin's father had found himself in. However, and perhaps it was just Changbin being pessimistic, he found it astonishing upon hearing such news that Seungmin had been born at all. 

As if reading Changbin's thoughts, Seungmin continued, "He kept me. Sent my mother away as soon as I was born, of course, but I've always thought that at least there was a little humanity in him; enough to let his kid stay in his big fancy house, as long as he was kept a secret from the rest of the world. He never paid attention to me, or cared for me, but at least I had a roof over my head for the majority of my life."

Changbin processed Seungmin's words. He could envision it himself, and found his heart aching for the loneliness that must have accompanied such an upbringing. 

"I felt isolated from the rest of the world, since I wasn't allowed to leave," Seungmin said, confirming Changbin's thoughts. "And more than anything I was _bored._ My father gave me an education and I read every book in the house, but spending over sixteen years in utter isolation gets to you.

"So when I first discovered my powers when I was seven, I felt like I'd been blessed, because I finally had something to do. Something to work on." 

Changbin listened in silence as Seungmin told his story, about how he spent hours perfecting his abilities, and was filled with nothing but admiration for the younger. Despite how alone he had been, he had taken on his powers head on, had remained unafraid of them, and tamed them all by himself. Without Chan, Changbin never would have been able to perfect his own abilities in such a way, and Jisung had been cautious of them is entire life. Seungmin, however, was a different case. 

He spoke of how he had waited until he had sufficient evidence that he could take care of himself in the world, and had been sworn to secrecy regarding his origin and upbringing by his father. One point of interest was that he had stolen a laptop to use himself while he was living alone, which he then confirmed to be the one Jeongin was always carrying around. And then, he told Changbin of his years living alone in the city by himself, too scared to settle but stubbornly against the idea of returning to his home and his father's financial stability. While Changbin had robbed stores, Seungmin had worked with his powers to pickpocket people on the streets, and then used that money to get by. 

Finally Changbin knew the true meaning behind their unspoken bond.

"And that's how I ended up with what I can do now," Seungmin finished his account of the self-training he had undertaken. "It all started with being able to lift a couple of the coins in my father's study when I looked at them. Now, I can control anything magnetic that I look at."

And suddenly, it all made sense. Changbin recounted all of the case files that he and Chan had poured over regarding the vigilantes, the puzzling blood sample results that showcased a mixture of blood types, as if the same weapon had been used to pierce every one of them. 

"The daggers..." He said slowly, recalling the glinting hilt that had hovered in front of Chan's chest. 

"They're magnetic," Seungmin finished. "That's how I fight."

Changbin nodded, feeling slightly giddy that he finally knew all he did about the mysterious vigilantes and their work. Jeongin's chip would handle all of the technology, while Seungmin would do the fighting with a single dagger. The thought that the younger had been able to perfect his fighting ability and harness his powers with such perfection without a professional trainer, or even any external advice, was absolutely staggering. Changbin could already tell how thrilled and impressed Chan would be, when Seungmin eventually told the blond everything he had just revealed to Changbin.

Of course, they would wait until the time was right. While undeniably Seungmin was opening up and feeling more comfortable, Changbin didn't expect years of distrust and loneliness would be brushed away so quickly, when it had taken himself quite a while in the first place. 

"So, Jeongin...?" He asked, returning their conversation to the point which had initiated it. "How did you two meet?" 

Much to Changbin's astonishment, Seungmin let out a loud groan and covered his face with his hands. Although despite his efforts, the sudden furious blushing of his cheeks was easily visible, and Changbin smirked as he made himself more comfortable on the couch. He could tell that this would be a good story. 

"It's embarrassing." Seungmin's voice was slightly muffled by his fingers, but Changbin straightened up so he could lean over and poke the other's arm. 

"Come on. Tell me, tell me!" 

"What happened to not forcing me to say anything I don't want to?" Seungmin shot back, lowering his hands to fix Changbin under a glare. 

"You don't have to tell me potentially traumatic memories," Changbin responded simply, meeting the glare with a grin. " _Embarrassing_ memories, on the other hand. They are quite different, and I require to know this information." 

Seungmin gave a long-suffering sigh and leant back, gazing up at the ceiling as if making a prayer, and very pointedly ignored Changbin's attempts at making eye-contact as he began to speak. 

"I'd been having a bad day, so I wasn't in a good mood to begin with," he started slowly, dragging the words out while his lips curled in reluctance. "With my powers, I have a bit of a sixth sense that lets me pick up on roughly whereabouts the magnetic objects are around me. I was just walking casually down the street, keeping an eye out for any flashes that could be something valuable, and I saw... something in Innie's hand. I'd never met him, and so I just assumed it was a coin, and my powers told me that it was magnetic..." 

"Oh my god, you didn't..." Changbin's eyes widened, and he let out a breathy laugh as Seungmin's head returned to its hiding place in his hands. "Seungmin, you did not!"

"When it didn't budge, I got annoyed, because I was already in a bad mood!" Seungmin cried, and there was almost physical pain in his voice as he recounted the events the occurred next. "So I just... tugged, pretty forcefully... and ended up dragging over Innie's _entire body_ , with him screaming his head off the entire time, just before he barreled into me and we fell into the middle of the street in a pile."

Changbin struggled to breathe through his laughter, and Seungmin hurriedly carried on as if he had not just revealed the teasing material he had. 

"But while we were lying there, I was able to get a good look at his palm... Innie covered it as quickly as he could, of course, but I'd already seen it," Seungmin dropped one of his hands, but allowed the other to rub against his neck sheepishly. "Besides, I had a bit of explaining to do myself... and I suppose you can say the rest is history."

Struggling to gulp down his laughter, Changbin forced himself into a more serious mindset as Seungmin finished his story. He could fill in the rest himself; finding and growing close to someone with abilities was an exhilarating feeling unlike any other, and if Seungmin and Jeongin's friendship had been anything like Chan and Changbin's, they would have been filled with the same desire to act with their powers, and use them together. 

He didn't ask about Jeongin's backstory, as he knew that was something Jeongin would share when he was ready. However, now with the new knowledge and trust Seungmin had placed in him, Changbin felt infinitely more content to have the pair stay with them. 

"I might have already been grown up and comfortable with my powers by the time Innie and I found each other," Seungmin said quietly once the they had both calmed down, his face taking on a more pensive look. "But he still taught me so much about myself. I'd never felt so close to anyone before, and not just because we both had powers. I..."

He swallowed as if he was struggling with the following words, and Changbin had to lean forwards to hear what was said next, due to the strangled whisper Seungmin spoke in. 

"I can't lose him, Binnie."

Changbin let out a small sigh at Seungmin's vulnerable expression, feeling himself yearn to provide any comfort that he could for the other. But Seungmin was obviously growing tired, and Changbin's own exhaustion was laying into him as their meaningful moment seemed to be drawing to a close. 

"You won't lose him, I promise. We're all going to take care of each other now," he said softly, hoping that his honestly was clear in his eyes. Already he knew that he would do anything to keep their newest members safe, and vowed to himself that whatever was to come, he wouldn't hesitate to do whatever had to be done for their sake. But for now, both he and Seungmin seemed to be lacking the energy to continue conversing, and as much as Changbin had enjoyed it, he knew that they would have to part ways eventually. "Come on. Let's go to bed; then you can see for yourself that he's alright."

He stood, his legs wobbling slightly both from misuse and lethargy. Seungmin followed with tiredness clearly clinging to his own bones as the cushion slid from his lap onto the floor, where neither of them bothered picking it up. Recounting so many memories had clearly taken its toll on the younger, and while the tension had evaporated from his posture, he seemed even more tired than before. 

"I'll show you to the rooms," Changbin said, beginning to lead the way towards the hallway at the other end of the large space. Seungmin followed, and the two walked in a contended silence. Enough had been said between them for the night. 

It felt as though it had been days since he had competed with Jisung for who would get the largest room, yet Changbin could remember the directions clearly despite the fuzziness of his mind. He pointed out his own door as they went past it, along with Jisung's just around the corner. 

"You guys met Jisung last night, didn't you?" Seungmin inquired in a low voice so that they didn't risk waking any of the others. Changbin nodded, to which the edges of Seungmin's mouth dropped into a saddened frown. "So he was all alone until then?" 

Changbin had to nod again, despite the pain it filled him with. Jisung was astonishingly upbeat for someone who had been so isolated, but Changbin knew that he carried his own worries, and only hoped that eventually he would be able to overcome them, much as they rest of them would have to. 

"Not anymore, and that's what matters," Changbin responded, his determination evident in his tone despite its subdued volume. 

Seungmin glanced at him as they came to a halt in front of another door, which Changbin recognised as the one he and Jisung hadn't reserved for Chan. 

"I think Innie and I might stay for a while," Seungmin said with certainty, his eyes meeting Changbin's with a calmness Changbin couldn't have pictured there an hour before. Now, however, he couldn't imagine Seungmin looking any less comfortable. 

He smiled in the dim lighting of the corridor, pretending that he hadn't been expecting such an answer. "Glad to hear it. Sleep well, Seung, I'll see you in the morning."

Seungmin nodded, and with a small smile of his own, stepped forwards and swung open the door as quietly as he could. He seemed to have a knack for moving soundlessly, Changbin realised, and as if picking up on Changbin's mental observation, shot the older a small wink just as he closed the door. 

"The audacity of these kids," Changbin scoffed, though the grin on his face remained as he turned and began to make his way back in the direction of his room. 

Just a few steps into his journey, however, he paused as he realised that it would be the first time he slept alone for many years. It wasn't that he was afraid - the thought of having a room to himself was actually quite exciting - but it was a change that Changbin wasn't sure if he was quite ready for, at least for that night. 

And so, as if his feet had a mind of their own, he found himself standing in front of Chan's door mere seconds later. 

There was a light seeping out from inside, alerting Changbin that his friend was still awake, and so he let himself in without allowing a moment to hesitate. 

Warmth immediately filled Changbin upon entering, both from the glowing lamp which Chan had switched on beside one of the beds, and the sight of Chan himself glancing towards the doorway from where he was lying on top of the covers. That was something Changbin had learnt about the other very early on in their friendship; that he never had to sleep under blankets because his powers always made sure that he was at the perfect temperature. Changbin didn't envy that - he enjoyed snuggling beneath layers too much himself. 

"How was Seungmin?" Chan asked as Changbin closed the door quietly behind him and made his way over to the other bed. 

"He was alright. I think he'll be a bit more... open, in the morning," Changbin responded, wasting no time in tucking himself in. Chan chucked from the other side of the small room, and suddenly the room was bathed in darkness as the lamp was switched off. Changbin wondered whether the blond had been waiting for him. 

"Jisung will be mad that you claimed the big room only to sleep here tonight," Chan's disembodied voice carried over. 

Changbin could only yawn in response for a moment as he turned onto his back, barely making out the colourless ceiling of the room through the lack of light. "I'll go back there tomorrow night."

Chan seemed to understand what Changbin meant, and Changbin picked up on a shuffling from his friend's side of the room. 

"Well done for today, Bin," came a soft murmur, words slurring slightly with tiredness. Changbin was sure that he wasn't able to speak a properly coherent sentence himself, and the bed just felt _so comfortable._

However, he was able to say one more thing, as the memories of his weighted conversation with Seungmin returned to him, and the pitiful thought of the others' previous loneliness. While Changbin wished he could have had a proper start to his life, even a proper life at all, he was thankful that he hadn't been alone. 

"I love you, Chan."

"I love you too." 

And Changbin finally got to sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helppp the chapters are just getting longer and longer I need to control myself- 
> 
> But I hope that you enjoyed this nonetheless! I really loved writing it, and am taking such pleasure in building and developing these relationships... only three chapters in, I really cannot wait to get onto what else I have planned for the future!
> 
> We now have five of the Strays together, woo! Just Danceracha to go... 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have a good day! Here is to the first month of 2021 :3
> 
> And please feel free to contact me on Twitter @beanwillstay
> 
> <3


	4. {4}

Jeongin woke to the sound of rustling bedsheets. Sunlight tried to breach past his closed eyelids as consciousness returned to him, and the commotion from the other side of the room only loudened. So naturally, Jeongin responded by groaning and rolling over in bed, folding his pillow over his ears and firmly squeezing his eyes shut. 

"Come on, I know you can be quieter than that," he complained, his voice slightly rougher in his sleepiness. 

Despite his efforts to keep any further noise from reaching his ears, Seungmin's laughter was easily audible to Jeongin. He couldn't help the relieved smile that came to his lips at that; the Seungmin from yesterday had reminded Jeongin unnervingly of the Seungmin he had met a couple of years ago, before they had begun to open up to each other. 

"You were so excited yesterday. Don't you want to explore the bunker with the others?" Seungmin prompted, causing Jeongin to groan again. Of course he did, but... 

"The bed is too comfy," he finished aloud, earning another chuckle from Seungmin's direction. It both infuriated and impressed Jeongin that the older was such a morning person - and that he seemed so amazingly patient during the early hours, especially when Jeongin was in his 'sleepy state,' as Seungmin liked to call it. "I bet it's like five in the morning. Why did you wake me up so early?"

"Actually, it's past nine," Seungmin quipped, and Jeongin felt a firm yet fond hand shake his shoulder. 

Slowing his movements to emphasise his disapproval at being woken, Jeongin allowed Seungmin to turn him over. Feeling a gaze on his face, he forced open his eyes to blink dazedly up at their room, and the person who was standing at his bedside. 

The light, which he had previously assumed to have come from the sun, was actually being emitted from the lamps that they each had on the tables next to their beds. Their room was bathed in the same warm glow it had been from the night before, making Jeongin feel no less sleepy, even though he gradually pushed himself up into a sitting position. 

The hand which previously had been holding onto his shoulder repositioned itself to his back, and the mattress dipped as Seungmin shuffled onto it. Jeongin might have pushed him off playfully, if he wasn't still about to doze off himself. Seungmin seemed to notice this, and he gave a knowing grin as Jeongin looked at him through drooping eyelids. 

He didn't understand how Seungmin could look so flawless so early in the morning. It wasn't fair. 

Huffing both out of envy and sleepiness, he allowed his head to fall onto Seungmin's shoulder. He felt the older let out a small high and shuffle closer so that the mattress didn't tip quite so dangerously to the side. 

"Sorry for waking you. Chan slipped a note under the door earlier this morning though, saying that the rest of them are up and they'll be having breakfast soon. I didn't think you'd want to miss it." 

"You're right..." Jeongin mumbled into Seungmin's shirt, though despite his words, he couldn't quite bring himself to move. Two nights ago he might have hesitated, or even teasingly refused such contact with Seungmin, but perhaps moving in with three new people had made him slightly more open to the thought of cuddling. 

Seungmin didn't seem to mind either, and Jeongin was more than happy to remain where they were if it meant he could rest a little longer. It wasn't as though he hadn't slept well per se - the bed had actually been extremely warm and comfortable - but it was more... 

"Enjoying this feeling of safety?" Seungmin asked quietly, as if reading Jeongin's mind. He always seemed to be able to do that. 

Jeongin nodded in response, accidentally crinkling the fabric of Seungmin's shirt as he did so. The other paid no heed to it, however, as he let out a small sigh and leant back against the headboard of the bed. 

"I talked with Changbin for a while last night... I think we can trust them. No, I _know_ we can trust them." Seungmin's voice was unwavering in its decisiveness, and Jeongin smiled, mentally thanking their new black-haired friend. He had known immediately that they were trustworthy people, but understood why it would take Seungmin longer to warm up to them. Frankly, he was grateful that it had only taken as long as it had. 

His smile slipped from his face at what Seungmin said next, however. 

"I'm sorry I could never make you feel as safe, Innie."

Jeongin lifted his head from Seungmin's shoulder abruptly, causing the other to glance down at him in question. He met the inquisitive stare with a hard one, and might have been intimidated by how close their faces were if he wasn't so lost in the sadness swimming in Seungmin's eyes. 

"Don't do that," he said quietly, his voice pleading. 

Seungmin gulped, gnawing on his lower lip as a crease formed between his eyebrows. "Do what?"

"Talk like that... Look like that..." Jeongin reached a hand up to pull at Seungmin's cheek, causing him to cease his lip-biting as Jeongin forced his mouth into a smile. "You look like a sad puppy when you're not happy. Please be happy." 

With a sigh, Seungmin averted his eyes and removed Jeongin's hand with his own. "I can't-"

"No." Jeongin frowned, cutting Seungmin off with an insistent tone. He reached up with both hands that time to take Seungmin's face in his grasp, forcing the other to look at him again. He prayed inwardly that the metal on his palm didn't make it too uncomfortable. "It wasn't that I didn't feel safe with you before this, when we were alone. I always feel safe if you're here, Seung."

"Then... why-"

"Because you didn't feel safe yourself," Jeongin finished softly, relaxing his grip. Instead of letting his hands fall back onto the bedsheets, however, Seungmin caught him midway and laced their fingers together. Jeongin smiled down at them before looking back at Seungmin, who was staring at him with an unreadable, yet heart-wrenchingly strong emotion. "You were always on edge, always looking out for me and making sure I was safe. And now finally... I know that there are people to watch your back, as you always watched mine."

Jeongin feared for a second that Seungmin hadn't listened to what he had said, as he didn't receive any verbal response. That worry was soon replaced by a very different one, however, as he realised that Seungmin's gaze had trailed down from Jeongin's eyes to- 

_My lips?_

Jeongin was suddenly extremely aware of how close they were. The air seemed to have stilled in a way that reminded Jeongin of Changbin's powers, and he wasn't sure whether he wanted time to stop or to simply play forwards and let whatever was about to happen pass. Seungmin gave his hand a small squeeze. 

"Innie-"

"Hey, you guys!" 

Seungmin shot backwards, and would have fallen from his bed if it hadn't been for Jeongin reaching out to steady him. They both were breathing heavily, widened eyes staring at each other with a mixture of disbelief and... something else, before Seungmin finally seemed to remember who was standing just outside their door. 

"What the hell do you want, Changbin?" He shouted, shaking off Jeongin's hands and sliding from the bed. 

"Is that any way to talk to your elder?" Changbin shot back, though his annoyance didn't last for long as he continued, "We're about to run out of coffee, so if you guys want any you'll have to hurry up." 

Seungmin glared incredulously at the closed door, but his eyes didn't carry much heat when his face was so very pink. Jeongin was sure that he didn't look much better, and could only be thankful that Changbin hadn't opened the door to catch them in... whatever position they had been in before. 

"Um... thank you!" Jeongin called, wincing as his voice cracked. Changbin mumbled something back, and they heard the pattering of footsteps retreating before the room fell into a painfully awkward silence. 

Jeongin clutched at his bedsheets, watching as Seungmin continued to stand in the center of their shared room. There had never been a tension like that between them before, and Jeongin wasn't sure what to think of it. He wasn't really certain of anything, in that moment, and found himself looking to Seungmin for an answer of some sort. Unfortunately, the other appeared just as baffled as Jeongin felt, his eyes landing anywhere apart from the bed. 

"I'll, um... Go and secure us some coffee, then. Do you want one?" He asked eventually, his usually-velvety voice wavering and uncertain. 

"No, I'm fine, I'll have... water, or something. Thanks."

Seungmin cleared his throat before making his way towards the door, still refusing to make eye-contact. "Right, sure. The uh... bathroom is just behind the door over there, although you probably know that and... I'll see you later!"

Before Jeongin could even return the farewell, Seungmin had slipped out of the room and closed the door behind him with a slam. Jeongin was left in the quiet of his solitude, with the empty space on his bed mocking him. 

While part of Jeongin wanted to curl up and hide himself beneath the safety of the blankets, another part of him knew that with Seungmin's presence, the others might begin to talk about something important that Jeongin didn't want to miss out on. And so, he hopped out of bed and carefully tucked the sheets in, before bending down to rifle through his backpack which Jisung had left next to the door the night before. 

He managed to find one of his few changes of clothing, his tooth brush and toothpaste - which was just about clinging onto life, and hurried to the small bathroom which their room had built in. 

Before he changed, showered, or even brushed his teeth, Jeongin hastily turned on the tap and splashed cold water onto his face. It felt as though his entire being was burning up, and a quick glance in the mirror told him that his face was just as flushed as Seungmin's had been. He pouted as the memory returned to him, but hurriedly distracted himself with getting ready. 

Once he had cleaned himself up, savouring the comforting warmth of the shower and avoiding his chip, of course, Jeongin left the room with his hair dripping wet. After a moment of debating, he decided not to bring the laptop, and left it where it sat on his bedside table. It was still completely dead in any case, and Jeongin reminded himself to follow that up with Jisung. 

Even though he had been tired the night before, Jeongin could easily remember his way back to the main area of the bunker. Jisung had given him such detailed instructions, and Jeongin couldn't help but grin as he recalled the older's excitement as he'd shown the way. He could also use the sound of voices to direct himself, and was able to make out what was being said just as he turned the final corner. 

"Wow..." Seungmin was sitting at one of the kitchen tables with a mug in his hands, presumably the coffee that Changbin had told them about. "This is..."

"Exactly the right temperature?" Chan finished for him, smirking proudly from where he sat to Seungmin's right. "I wouldn't have you wait for it to cool down when I can just make it the perfect temperature, now would I? And just tell me if it gets too cold, I can warm it right up for you."

"Thanks!" Seungmin responded brightly, causing Chan to beam. Jeongin pushed down the strange fluttering in his stomach at the happiness in the brunet's voice as he walked forwards. 

Changbin was standing at the sink with the tap on, cleaning some mugs which Jeongin presumed had been used for coffee before he arrived. When he found there was a lack of Jisung, Jeongin glanced in the direction of the sitting area as he passed, and could just make out a tuft of dark-brown hair peeking out from the other side of the couch. 

"I thought you said everyone was awake," he commented as he approached the kitchen. Chan and Seungmin both glanced up, a look of panic flitting across the latter's face before he composed it and concentrated on his drink. After waving to Chan, who returned it cheerily, Jeongin sat down at the table. 

"Do you want anything to drink, Innie?" Changbin called over his shoulder. 

"Just water, please," Jeongin replied with a thankful smile, and Changbin nodded once before busying himself. Kneading his hands together in his lap, Jeongin swiveled on his chair to look at the two sitting opposite him. Seungmin was still very pointedly avoiding eye-contact, and so Jeongin decided to talk to Chan in an attempt to distract himself from the lingering memories of that morning. "Jisung seems quite asleep."

Chan chuckled fondly, casting a quick glance in the direction of the couch. "Yeah, well. We woke him up and dragged him out here, but he just curled up there and went straight back to sleep."

"Not everyone is as into mornings as you guys seem to be," Jeongin responded, crossing his arms over his chest and giving Seungmin a meaningful stare. There was no reaction other than from Chan, however, who shrugged his shoulders simply. 

"I wouldn't say I'm a morning person, really. I'm just immune to the feeling of being tired now."

"He's not a sleep person in general," Changbin added, placing a glass of water down in front of Jeongin as he took a seat at the table. Jeongin thanked him quietly and gulped it down, washing away the dryness which clung to this throat. 

With Chan and Changbin beginning to debate over Chan's sleeping habits on either side of him, Jeongin relaxed into his chair and simply enjoyed their company. Seungmin sipped at his drink quietly, occasionally adding a comment or two into the conversation, while Jeongin took the time to observe the room a little more. 

It was remarkably cosy for being an underground base, and while the artificial lights were slightly intense, Jeongin found himself growing excited by the sight of them. They didn't flicker, and all were the same dazzling shade of white which suggested they were all connected within a larger composition. His palm buzzed with excitement, and he glanced down to see some of the little lights - which he may or may not have named after his favourite children's cartoon characters - were whizzing around more erratically than normal. He wanted to see the main control center of the bunker's electricity.

The other corridors leading out of the main room intrigued him too, as Jisung had only shown him the one leading to their bedrooms the night before. Jeongin could already feel himself longing to explore, whether it was with a guide or not, and so once he sensed a lull in the others' conversation he brought himself in. 

"What's the plan for today?"

"Ah, well..." Chan gave Jeongin one of his warmest looks, to which Jeongin brightened. "I was thinking, if it would be alright with you guys, we could just take some time to settle in here together. We need to get some necessities, such as food and clothing, and you two still need to see the rest of the bunker.

"It would be good if we could see the basics of what you both can do as well, if you'll be staying here for a while, just so we can best plan our strategies in whatever we'll do next. So that's why I was hoping _Sungie_ -" Chan emphasised the younger's name, and a shuffling sound could be heard from behind the couch. "-Would show you to where most of the computers and all of that techy stuff is kept, Innie."

Jeongin perked up at that, turning his head excitedly in the direction of the sitting area. Jisung was just in the process of rising from the couch, his hair slightly tousled and face squinting against the light. 

"What? Did someone say my name?" He asked drowsily, rubbing at his eyes as he approached where the others we sitting. 

"You'll show me the computers?" Jeongin inquired eagerly as Jisung took the final seat in between Seungmin and Changbin. His sleepiness seemed to leave him at Jeongin's question, and he blinked in recognition. 

"Oh. Oh yeah, sure!" He returned Jeongin's smile happily. "I didn't know what half of the stuff in there was seeing as I wasn't really allowed around anything electrical back home, but I'd be happy to!"

Despite his somewhat downhearted words, Jisung didn't seem at all upset. Rather, his eyes matched Jeongin's own in anticipation, and Jeongin could immediately tell that the two of them would have a very good time investigating what the base had to offer in terms of technology. 

"Great!" Chan cheered, clapping his hands together as he watched the younger two reach their agreement. He turned to Seungmin, who was observing him expectantly over the rim of the coffee mug. "As for you, Seung, I was thinking of showing off the weaponry and training area of this place, seeing as you seem to be the main fighter?"

Seungmin nodded as he lowered his mug. "That's right. Innie doesn't fight, not physically."

Gazes lingered on him, the others perhaps surprised that he hadn't asked for the two to stay together for the day. Jeongin, on the other hand, knew that Seungmin wouldn't have a problem with the two splitting once he was more trusting. Besides, he remained very stubborn about not meeting Jeongin's eyes, so perhaps he was still in a bit of shock from earlier that morning. Jeongin presumed that it might be for the best if they ignored it, for the moment. 

There were other things to focus on. 

"What will you do, Changbin?" He asked, pressing his hands together. The metal cooled his skin, which had begun to feel strangely warm when his mind had briefly wondered back to the moment he had shared with Seungmin earlier that morning. 

"I'm going on a shopping trip," Changbin responded, leaning back in his chair. Jeongin realised that he looked far better than he had the night before, when his complexion had been ashy and pale, and there was a greying exhaustion which had lingered in his irises wherever he looked. Now he glowed with a healthy aura, and his eyes sparkled as he grinned at Jeongin. "We need to get food and clothes and stuff."

"I don't know if I trust you to get my clothes," Seungmin confessed as he finished his drink and placed the mug onto the table. Changbin rolled his eyes as he reached across to pick up the mug, along with Jeongin's empty water-glass, and returned back to the kitchen sink. 

Chan shook his head with amusement, glancing sideways at Seungmin with obvious relief that the brunet was very clearly warming up to them. He looked at Jeongin a moment later, and Jeongin sat up straighter at the unexpected attention. Something about the friendly kindness in Chan's eyes gave him such energy that he didn't know what to do with it all. 

"We would've let you guys go along as well, but considering Bin did use his powers last night... Well, someone might have been too scared to report straight away. We don't know for sure if it went unnoticed, or if it was linked to you two. At least neither Bin or I were seen there by anyone else, so we thought it would be best if we were the only two to go out in public for a bit," he explained, and Jeongin nodded; it made perfect sense. Besides, if it would finally give Seungmin a break from worrying about every little noise and movement, he wouldn't mind staying inside for a few days. 

He couldn't help but shoot Jisung an inquisitive glance, however. By Chan's logic, Jisung was also validated to leave the bunker, so he wondered why Chan hadn't mentioned anything. 

Jisung caught Jeongin's eye and gave a small, somewhat sheepish grin. "It's uh... a long story. But local people are probably looking for me at the moment."

Jeongin nodded, and decided not to ask any more as there was something hiding behind Jisung's carefree smile that he didn't want to push at. 

Changbin finished the washing up quickly and dried his hands, before pacing over to Chan and holding out a hand. Chan looked down at this without reaction, causing Changbin to sigh and shift his weight onto his right foot. "Key card? I need to get the lift to move."

"Wait, Innie, can we use you as a key card as well now?" Jisung questioned aloud, leaning forwards as Chan fished into his pocket. 

"No one is using Innie as a key card!" Seungmin cut in before Jeongin could respond, looking offended at the idea. Jeongin grinned as Jisung tried to explain his reasoning, while Changbin received his desired item from Chan and began making his way towards the lift. 

"Before I go, can I ask if there are any allergies or anything I should look out for?" Changbin called back to them, interrupting Seungmin and Jisung midway through their debate. 

Jeongin leapt on the question. "Black beans!"

"You're allergic?"

"Yes."

"Oh my god, Innie. You're not allergic to black beans," Seungmin groaned, pressing a finger to the bridge of his nose in Jeongin's peripheral vision. Jeongin kept his eyes on Changbin however, who had paused at the foot of the lift to survey the two. 

"But I might as well be," Jeongin insisted hastily, catching Changbin's bemused stare and raised eyebrow. "They have a weird texture and are absolutely disgusting. I can't even look at them - please don't bring them here!"

Changbin held his gaze for a moment searchingly, before shrugging and stepping into the lift. He leant across and held the card against the area of the wall Jeongin remembered the little scanning detector had been, before glancing up in anticipation. 

"Oh, and please get cheesecake too! I love cheesecake!" Jisung yelled after him, causing Seungmin to startle at the volume of his voice and Chan to belt out a laugh. 

"I feel like one of us should be waiting up there to help Bin with how much shopping he's gonna have when he comes back," the blond confessed with an amused tone, rising from his seat and taking a moment to stretch. 

Jisung waved the older's statement off with a smirk. "He has good arms; he'll be fine."

Jeongin glanced up as Jisung stood as well. He exchanged a quick glance with Seungmin, who seemed to finally have stopped ignoring him, and then got to his feet as well. Surprisingly, Jeongin found that he wasn't feeling too hungry despite having not eating since the cup noodles the night before. He didn't have much of a desire to eat either, with the knowledge that later that day he would be having his first home-cooked meal in months, and therefore didn't want to ruin his appetite. 

"Right then..." Chan began, his eyes flitting through the group with anticipation. "Are we ready to get started?"

Jeongin nodded, barely being able to contain his own eagerness. Ever since stepping into the base the night before, all he had wanted to do was explore and see what it had to offer. He didn't blame Seungmin in any way for their living conditions up until that moment, but being limited to a single laptop had almost been suffocating, his chip desperately reaching out for more to focus its specialised abilities on. Even holding his palm over the simple scanner in the lift last night had sent his mind buzzing; the little lights zooming through the carvings on the metal perfectly conveyed his excitement. The thought of more a developed and professional computer was overjoying for him to think about, and Jisung had even mentioned 'computers.' 

_Plural._

So when Chan turned to lead the way back towards the branching-off hallways, Jeongin followed with a spring in his step. Jisung moved in at his side, while Seungmin walked quietly next to Chan just in front of them. 

"Your hand seems to be getting excited," Jisung leant across and whispered in his ear. Jeongin glanced at him, and the older pointed towards his palm, which had previously been hanging loosely at his sides. Jeongin raised it and observed the little beams of light which streaked across the slate's surface with vigor. 

He grinned and looked up, catching Jisung's gaze. "That's because I'm excited. These little guys are too!"

Jisung leaned over to get a closer look as they approached the area where the corridors split off from the main room, his pupils dilating with wonder. Jeongin couldn't help but feel the warmth of pride spread through his chest. 

His chip had always been there throughout his life, along with the little bursts of excitement which would emerge as if conjured by a manual command. Because of its constant presence and unique effect on his character, Jeongin had always taken it for granted and accepted it has a key part of himself. So to see people in such awe of it, admiring it as if it was a priceless artifact, filled him with happiness. 

"Right then, we'll just be down this way," Chan said nodding in the direction of a particular corridor which branched off to the left. "You know where everything is, Sung. Just come get us if you need anything."

They split off, Jisung directing Jeongin down a different hallway to the right. Jeongin followed after exchanging a short look with Seungmin, who fortunately had returned to the Seungmin Jeongin remembered from before they had arrived at the bunker. It was as if their new location had completely changed everything Jeongin knew about them; the stability of their time spent together crumbling with the fleeting moment that they had shared that morning. And Jeongin couldn't work out why, for the life of him, he didn't seem to be able to think about anything else. 

Fortunately, Jisung proved to be perhaps the best person to have around when Jeongin needed a distraction. He seemed to be able to chat endlessly, and didn't mind when Jeongin was relatively quiet. Jeongin would always be happy to talk, of course, but he was still quite preoccupied with admiring the intricacies of the base. 

And when Jisung paused to swing open the door at the end of their hallway, Jeongin's breath caught in his throat, completely preventing him to be able to say anything. 

The most amazing room opened up in front of him. It was relatively small, but its size by no means restricted its contents. Set out almost akin to a classroom, three rectangular tables stretched out across the center of the room, all angled towards a large projector screen which was attached to the far wall. On the tables sat computers, printers, keyboards and mousepads, all turned off but still opening up countless possibilities in their deadened state. Shelves lined the walls adjacent to the projector, littered with wires and an assortment of small miscellaneous devices which Jeongin couldn't quite identify from where he stood at the entrance. 

"You look just like how I feel on Christmas morning," Jisung observed with an amused laugh. He stepped into the room after Jeongin and fumbled around next to the doorframe for the light switch. 

The buzzing of Jeongin's hand only intensified when he could properly see the items in the room. He had never been around so many devices before, let alone ones that looked to be in such prime condition. His fingers twitched, and he felt an impulse to rush forwards and let his chip devour everything it wanted, absorbing and exchanging information and feeling its way through each individual system. 

"This is... It's amazing," Jeongin said, bringing his left hand up to rub his eyes. Part of him expected the sight to melt away, but it remained just as clear and magnificent. 

"Go ahead!" Jisung encouraged, gesturing at the room with a bow. 

And so, Jeongin finally let the excited thrumming of his chip possess him, and rushed forwards. 

Naturally, the first area he explored was that of the computers themselves. They were far more sophisticated than the one Seungmin had given Jeongin to use, and the tingling on his palm heightened as he hovered it over each individual keyboard. The computers were all turned off, but Jeongin was able to reboot one easily. He decided to simply scope it out first before getting started on the others, just so that he could see exactly what he would be working with. 

Jisung peeked over his shoulder as he sat down in one of the chairs (which spun wonderfully) and got to work. The computer screen flickered into life in front of him, and Jeongin reached forwards to press the center of his chip over the revived camera light which blinked in the midpoint of the top border.

The effect was immediately noticeable; the anticipated jerking of the lights in his palm seemed to let out a collective sigh of contentment as they leapt on the new source of interest, following his command to kick the device into action. The skin on the back of his hand tingled with satisfaction, and he smiled. It had been a while since he had allowed his abilities to worm their way into a device as complex as a computer - the last time being when he had first met Seungmin and gained access to his laptop. 

"So how does that work?" Jisung asked, pushing over another chair to sit next to Jeongin. The younger wasn't really sure why he was watching with such an enchanted expression, given that he couldn't feel any of the sensations Jeongin could, but it was warming to see someone so excited in what he did all the same. 

"You know those little lights whizzing around on my chip?" Jeongin prompted, waiting for Jisung's affirmative nod before he continued. "They're almost like tiny... I don't know what to call them exactly. Agents? It's like they can understand exactly what I want, sometimes before I even know I want it myself, and just work their way into any device and open it up for me, like a book."

Jisung's mouth hung open as he watched the desktop lend itself to Jeongin's control. With a small grin at his accomplishment that he now had access to one of the computers, Jeongin observed the state of the bunker's technology. 

It was a fairly simple, basic system, but already a lot more promising than the under-developed laptop of Seungmin's. A few basic software looked to had been installed, but all in all the memory disc was completely empty; its previous owner must have erased every ounce of their work on it beforehand and carried it away on a chip of their own. 

Jeongin had no problem with that - while he couldn't lie and say that JYP didn't interest him, he wasn't desperate to know everything about the organisation - as he planned to take over the system with his own abilities. He returned his hand to the flickering light, and instead mentally commanded the lights to transfer all of the data Jeongin had built up and collected from Seungmin's laptop to this larger, more reliable computer. 

They did so with flickers of happiness, and Jeongin leaned back a few seconds later with a triumphant grin. 

Jisung had watched the entire showcase in uncharacteristic silence, simply blinking as Jeongin's data began to install and make itself at home on the new computer. 

"You're... so cool, Innie."

Jeongin's smile widened as he glanced at the older, sitting up in his chair at the praise. "Thank you!" 

"So what did you just do?" Jisung continued to question. The bright light from the screen reflected in his eyes as he watched the progress intently. 

"Well... I basically put everything on here-" Jeongin waved his right hand, ensuring that Jisung knew he was talking about his chip, "-Onto there. Everything on Seung's computer is also stored on here, so it was easy enough for me to transfer it all over. I can't actually do anything on this though, which was why I needed his laptop in the first place... This is more of a storage device rather than something I can work with."

Jisung nodded slowly, though some of the brightness had faded from his eyes. He leant back from where he had previously been hunched close enough that his chin could have rested on Jeongin's shoulder if he had wanted, and instead flopped back against his seat with a saddened expression that Jeongin thought looked suspiciously like a pout. 

"Which is why..." He continued slowly, wondering if Jisung's sudden shift in mood was because he hadn't exactly complimented the room yet. "This place is really cool. Seung's laptop isn't that big and can't handle so much, but with these beauties I could really let my abilities loose to get up to whatever they want! So thank you, for bringing me here."

Much to Jeongin's disappointment and slight concern, Jisung only let out a small 'no problem,' before picking half-heartedly at the sleeves of his hoodie. It looked a little too big on him, and Jeongin wondered if it belonged to Chan. 

However, he had more important things to worry about, given that Jisung had gone from talking so much that Jeongin had questioned whether the other even needed to breathe, to suddenly being extremely quiet. And it was quite unnerving. 

"Alright," he said, spinning his chair around so that he could face Jisung properly. With his abilities having gotten a chance to let out some of their pent-up energy, he was content enough to sit back and listen to Jisung, instead of whizzing around and examining the other appliances the room had to offer. "What's wrong?"

"It's just..." Jisung barely gave Jeongin time to ask, and had clearly been awaiting the chance to confide. Jeongin sat back in his chair, sensing that the older had quite a few things to say. "You're so... at home with your powers. You can use them so well, and know exactly what to do with them."

"I wouldn't say I know _exactly_ what to do with them," Jeongin said. "I'm still discovering new little quirks about them all the time."

Jisung sighed and held his head in his hand, using the armrest of his chair to prop up his arm. Jeongin might have laughed at his position if the other didn't look as emotionally drained as he did, and so instead he neutralised his expression and clasped his hands patiently in his lap. 

"Yeah but at least you have basic control over them," Jisung responded drily, grimacing into his palm. "At least you didn't burn your house down by having a mishap with a microwave. A microwave, of all things!"

Jeongin couldn't help his expression morphing into one of shock, and he wondered for a moment if he had misheard. 

"A microwave?" He repeated slowly, searching Jisung for any other reaction. Jisung only pursed his lips and glanced up for a moment, his eyes shining with self-consciousness and regret. Jeongin let out a short breath when he realised that Jisung was being serious. "Wow... How did you manage that?"

"I don't know!" Jisung threw his head back and yelled at the ceiling. "It shouldn't have been possible at all! I just got super unlucky or something, I don't know..." 

Jeongin frowned and raised his clasped hands up so he could rest his chin on them thoughtfully. "Have you not thought that perhaps... It had always been possible? There isn't anyone else experiencing what you are, so you can't know for sure what the capabilities of your powers are. What if you're able to do something else which you just weren't aware of?" 

Jisung fell silent, allowing his head to drop back so that he could regard Jeongin with a wide-eyed stare. 

"Wait. That actually makes sense." He spun his chair prudently, and Jeongin waited with patience. 

_No one would be able to tell I'm the younger one, would they?_

"Say, Innie," Jisung began, his tone significantly more upbeat than it had been before. Jeongin wasn't even sure what he had done to cheer the other up, but was glad that he had managed to nonetheless. "It's fine if you don't want to answer, but could I ask exactly how you discovered your powers and... how you developed them? Became comfortable with them?" 

Jeongin shrugged to convey his relaxation towards the topic. In fact, he was fairly sure that he was more comfortable with the prospect of discussing his abilities than any of the others - even Chan and Changbin, who had described their own simply and efficiently as if they had experience of it. He would have elaborated more on them the night before, if not for the worry that it would make Seungmin uncomfortable, as he hadn't seemed to approve of how trusting Jeongin had been of the other three initially. Now that Seungmin was warming up to them, however, Jeongin was more than happy to share anything with them. 

"Well, I've had this ever since I was born. So I never had a moment of discovery or anything, I always knew that I was different." He waved his hand as explanation. "It was always kind of confusing to me, but my parents told me that it was an urgent necessity to save my life. Some kind of... unforeseen abnormality occurred at my birth or something." 

Jisung ceased his spinning and shot Jeongin a shocked look. "Oh, geez. I'm sorry to hear that. Was your mum alright?"

"She was fine, though I think the whole ordeal must have been pretty traumatic for her. She never wanted to talk about my birth much."

"So..." Jisung's eyes trailed back to Jeongin's clasped hands. "How did you find out it wasn't just a... normal piece of metal, then?"

Jeongin felt a sheepish smile work its way onto his lips, and he stared at his lap as his father's story returned to him. "I can't remember it too well myself. Just that... when I was around three, maybe four - and this was my first memory, mind you - I got this really weird tingling in my right hand, from the chip. It was like when you play a game of hide and seek, and you get told if you're hot or cold. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yeah!"

"Well... I was feeling exactly like that, where the tingles would get more intense if I got closer to my dad's study. So eventually I just got tired of it and went in myself... He found me on his computer, staring at some of his most private files, having managed to log on using my chip."

"No way!" Jisung giggled, his face lighting up with delighted amusement. "Did you find anything spicy?"

"Spi- Jisung, I was a _toddler._ " 

Jisung only laughed harder, even going as far as to lean forwards and poke Jeongin's cheek. Jeongin wasted no time in batting his hand away, but continued to talk once Jisung had calmed down enough for him to be heard. 

"I have no idea what I might have come across, but my parents were quickly aware that the chip wasn't... useless." He glanced back at his hand and observed his piece of metal; it had always confused him as to why his parents had been surprised when he'd discovered what it could do, as it didn't look normal at all. "They made sure I knew what I was allowed to do and what I wasn't, and even gave me my own computer to keep me entertained. They didn't trust me though, even as I grew older and more mature, so that was why I was more than happy to run away with Seungmin when we met. He understood me in a way they never could."

Jisung listened intently to Jeongin's words. He had stopped smiling, and instead gazed wistfully in the distance as Jeongin finished his story. Jeongin recalled the conversation that had passed over the cupped noodles last night, in which it had been revealed that Jisung had only just linked up with Chan and Changbin. Since it was just the three of them, Jeongin assumed that Jisung hadn't known anyone else with abilities beforehand. A newfound pity softened him as he watched the older. 

"What were your parents like?" He asked to break the silence. Perhaps Jisung's parents were absolutely wonderful, and he hadn't lived a life as lonely as Jeongin had before meeting Seungmin. 

"They were..." Jisung hesitated. "I mean, they were fine. They were always kind of scared of what I could do, though, and what it would mean for our safety as a family. That's why I don't know much detail about my powers other than the bare minimum; they kept me from using them at all, and so I just tried to keep them at bay for their sake."

Jeongin nodded slowly. He had always felt lucky, especially after meeting Seungmin, that the powers contained in his chip were so... submissive. They did exactly what he asked of them, sometimes even before Jeongin knew what that was, and he had never worried about losing control of them, or causing harm as a result of having them. Jisung clearly had, judging by how he was wringing his hands together somewhat nervously in his lap. 

"As much as they tried to protect us, though, I think an accident was inevitable... I guess it's just lucky that they weren't at home when it happened, else I might have hurt them. That's one of the main reasons why I left, to keep them safe from myself..." 

Jeongin didn't ask any more about the circumstances, as it was clear it pained Jisung to think about, but he did continue the conversation. "I don't think that trying to keep your powers under wraps like that is the best idea... They're there whether you like it or not, you know? It's best to try and live in balance with them so that they don't suddenly have a feral burst, or something like that."

"That's easy enough for you to say - you couldn't kill anyone with yours," Jisung rebutted, giving a tense chuckle as he leant back on his seat. "Channie did tell me that he'd help me try to get control of them while we're here, though." 

A flicker of guilt wound its way around Jeongin's heart, and he wondered if he was the reason Jisung was stuck in the computer room while Seungmin and Chan were off training, or doing whatever they were on the other side of the base. However, from what Jisung had been saying so far, accompanied by the darkening look of conflict on his face, Jeongin believed that their talk had been equally as important. 

"He was so cool when I first met him," Jisung said, drawing Jeongin's attention back to him. "My house was burning, and he just showed up, walked right into the flames, and somehow made all of it just disappear." 

Jeongin's interest was piqued. He was still undeniably interested in learning about the abilities of the others, and his only showcase of Chan's had been the somewhat mundane cooking of noodles and warming of coffee. Jisung's words were the first he had heard about what Chan could do on a larger, more impressive scale. 

And it excited him. 

"And Binnie was... well, he saved my life," Jisung added simply, a glaze shrouding his irises as he seemed to become lost in a memory. "I was falling, then he stopped time and caught me."

"Like he did with me!" Jeongin exclaimed, recalling his almost-fall from the bed when the others had first shown up in the motel room. He could still remember the rough yet secure feeling of Changbin's arms around his waist, and the grounding hardness of the floor beneath his body a moment later. 

Jisung gave a fleeting smile, before his face grew sad again. "They're just so amazing- don't tell Bin I said that, he'll never shut up about it- and I'm just... Well. It's because of me that they even had to show off their powers in the first place. Because I'd just done the one thing that I was never supposed to do."

"Chan and Changbin also spent years training in what sounds like a pretty intense scheme," Jeongin reminded him. "Of course they're going to have more control with their abilities. You were told to keep them subdued, while they were told to practice and master them. There is a difference."

Much to Jeongin's disappointment, Jisung didn't look any less forlorn. Instead, his eyes dragged heavily up to the computer screen in front of the pair, which had long since completed its installation of Jeongin's data. 

"Then there's you and Seungmin," Jisung continued, a short shudder passing through shoulders. "Seungmin's powers are scary, but he definitely has control of them, whatever they are. And you..." He nodded, gaze remaining fixated on the computer screen and stubbornly avoiding Jeongin's. 

Jeongin still didn't know exactly how Seungmin had discovered and trained with his abilities; the older remained adamant on keeping it a secret, but he knew enough to be able to reassure Jisung as much as he could. 

"Neither of us had parents trying to keep us from using them. And besides, now that you're with us, Chan can help you!" He gave Jisung one of his most dazzling smiles, and let out an inward sigh of relief when the other returned it with a genuine one of his own. "Not everyone's gonna have one as flashy as Seung's or Changbin's, but just because they're not suited for fighting, or a little underdeveloped, doesn't mean they're inferior. We just have to work on it, and now we're all in the best environment to do so!"

They finally made eye-contact, and Jeongin held it with compassion. Jisung's eyes shone with vulnerability, and Jeongin did his best to convey his sureness that their powers weren't something to be afraid of, or something to despise. They had them for a reason, and whatever that was, Jeongin was thankful for it. Without them he never would have met Seungmin, or any of their newest friends. 

"How are you so wise for someone so young, Innie?" Jisung sighed finally, though there was real respect in his eyes despite his teasing tone. 

Jeongin couldn't help but flush at the praise, and covered his face with his right hand, directing his palm towards Jisung. "Maybe it's this?"

"Oh come on," Jisung groaned, though Jeongin could easily pick up on the laughter in his voice. "You tell me not to compare our powers, and then suggest that yours not only make you a super cool hacker, but also as wise as a warlock. How are my little microwave tricks supposed to compete with that?"

Jeongin giggled lightly, both with amusement and relief that Jisung finally seemed to be returning to his usual self. 

He took the contented lull of conversation as a chance to resume his exploration of the room, and found his attention captured by a particular group of small devices contained in a box on one of the shelves behind Jisung. The older blinked as Jeongin's gaze focused on the box, and he swiveled in his chair to take a look as well. 

  
"Oh... You're interested in those? I wasn't sure what they were, but go ahead and look if you want."

Jeongin flashed Jisung a smile before hopping up from his seat and approaching the mysterious devices. There were many of them contained in the box, Jeongin realised as he drew closer, and were all completely identical. 

Frowning to himself thoughtfully, he reached in and pulled one out. His chip didn't respond to the object at all, suggesting that it either wasn't technological, or that it was completely switched off. A few more seconds of observation, however, told Jeongin that the former idea was completely wrong, and that the little device was merely out of power. 

"Do you know what it is?" Jisung asked, his voice growing louder as he approached as well. "I couldn't find a label or anything."

"Yeah, I wouldn't expect there to be labels in a base like this. It's not a shop, Sung," Jeongin responded, earning a scoff and light smack to the back of the head. He paid no attention to it, and instead squinted down at the strangely-familiar object. 

It was efficiently compact - barely as large as Jeongin's pinky finger - and entirely black. A small, flexible wire protruded from one side of it, and there was a single square carved into its center, which Jeongin guessed opened up to reveal a battery. 

Sure enough, after a moment of fumbling, he managed to pry the little hatch open and was met with a small, circular cell. It glinted in the overhead lighting, but Jeongin remained unable to feel anything from it, and so let a small defeated breath pass his lips. 

"It's dead, I think... We might have to send one of the others out to get more batteries, because I really want to know-"

His sentence stuttered to a stop as a hand suddenly appeared in his vision, and a surprisingly confident finger brushed against the gleaming surface of the cell. A second passed, in which Jeongin watched in wordless awe as a tiny sliver of light travelled from the tip of the finger into the cell, before his chip responded with a gleeful tingle. 

The disembodied hand flipped the hatch closed, and Jeongin glanced up to look at Jisung with wonder. The other blinked back at him expectantly. 

Jeongin retained eye-contact for a moment, before looking back down at the appliance with a smirk. "And you said you're inexperienced with your powers."

"I actually only charged something for the first time yesterday. I wasn't expecting that to be as cool as it was. Was it cool?"

"Very cool," Jeongin responded absentmindedly, though he barely paid any mind to Jisung's self-satisfied cheering as the tingling in his chip intensified. It was clearly excited by whatever the device was, but Jeongin still found himself entirely at a loss as to what its purpose was. 

And then, he realised. 

"Oh... No way," he breathed, not even wanting to believe his idea from the fear that he might have raised his hopes for nothing. He lifted the little device up to his ear and curled the wire around it, securely fastening it into place. "It... It's an earpiece!" 

Jeongin felt just about ready to cry from happiness. He would never forget the feeling of being left behind with only Seungmin's computer as company while the older would walk headfirst into danger, and the aching worry which would fill his heart as he listened to the sounds of fighting from whichever building held the group they were going to attack. After the first few times he hoped it would get easier, but his nerves would never calm until Seungmin returned, splattered with blood that wasn't his own, and entirely uninjured. Those would be the only times when Jeongin would be the one to initiate their hugs. 

The thought of actually being able to communicate while they were separated was almost too good to be true. 

"That's awesome," Jisung breathed, reaching into the box and taking out one himself. He flipped it over in his fingers, before popping open the hatch and recharging its cell just as he had done to Jeongin's. He grinned triumphantly before glancing back towards the box. "There are so many of them as well. Way more than enough for all of us."

Jeongin nodded in agreement, reaching up to pry his earpiece off. It rested snugly in his hand, and he gained a brief report of its state from his chip. 

"They're designed mainly for individuals, or small groups needing to coordinate if they're split up." He looked up at Jisung, who listened to him intently. "I can definitely tamper with them and make them more of a collective group though, and link them to one of the computers in here so I can easily communicate with everyone from where I am. Should we tell Chan?" 

Jisung passed his earpiece between his hands for a moment as he thought, before giving an affirmative nod. "Yeah, I think so. I still have no clue what we're actually gonna be doing, and even if Chan does I'm sure these will come in handy for him." 

With that decided, Jisung briskly led the way out of the room, following the simple corridor back towards the main crossroad of routes. They both were eager to show off their findings, and Jeongin was also keen to see more of the base. He would have time to go back and finish his exploration of the devices in that previous room soon, he was sure. 

"Binnie and I found that there was basically a split to this place, when we were exploring," Jisung explained as they walked. "The left side seemed more focused on fighting; it had a gym, some kind of training and weapons room and a bunch of medical beds, while the right side had that techy area, our rooms and a library too, I think-" 

He took in a long breath as they were walking fairly quickly, and Jeongin mentally absorbed the information. It was almost intimidating - how well the entire place was set out. He guessed that it had previously been used by JYP, given that Chan and Changbin seemed to have been the ones to have the idea of settling there in the first place, but still couldn't help but be surprised by just how impressive it all was. He was sure that the earpieces, computers and projector were only gracing the surface of what technology the bunker had to offer, and didn't doubt that similarly useful equipment was there for the more physical fighters. 

They turned the corner, and the faint sound of voices muffled by a wall could be heard just beyond a door to their right. 

"Oh, they're training!" Jisung commented, gesturing towards the door. Jeongin raised an eyebrow, having not expected Seungmin to be content to train with Chan after such a short time, but didn't stop Jisung as he stepped forwards and swung the door open. 

A room stretched out in front of them, smaller only to the main communal one. It was mostly empty, with the floor entirely covered by mats and bright white lights installed into the ceiling in a checked pattern. The wall on the right was entirely composed of mirrors, while the others were bare with slightly-peeling grey paint. 

Chan and Seungmin stood in the center of the room. Both seemed entirely immersed in their own world, and paid no attention to the sound of the door clicking shut behind Jeongin and Jisung as they entered. 

For a moment Jeongin couldn't tell what they were doing, as neither were speaking. Seungmin stood with his back to the entrance, while Jeongin's view of Chan was mostly blocked by the younger. The only thing that confirmed they weren't merely standing in silence and staring at each other was the subtle movement of Chan's left arm, and a delicate, repetitive _'clang',_ that Jeongin could only just hear. 

"What are they doing?" Jisung whispered, cautious not to break the concentration of the two in front of them. Jeongin shrugged and tried to figure out what the strange sound was. Tiny glimmers of light were just visible as they whizzed past Chan to slam into the wall behind him, and Jeongin managed to synchronise their movement with the soft clanging. Seeming to reach the same realisation Jeongin had, Jisung gasped, "Are those _coins_?"

Instead of answering verbally, Jeongin slowly walked around to get a side-on view. It became a lot easier to see what was happening there, and he watched with awe as Chan would flick coins into the air, only for them to be blown away by an unseen force mastered by Seungmin.

Their movement finally alerted the others - or at least Chan - to their presence. The blond straightened, having been bent slightly to better aim his coin tosses, and shot the two a beaming smile. 

"Hey, guys!" He called over cheerfully, provoking an equally-bright response from Jisung and a wave from Jeongin. 

With nothing to focus on, Seungmin also relaxed his posture and blinked the focus from his eyes. Jeongin could recognise his look easily from all of the times when he had used his powers, his brown eyes sharpened and zoning in on particular objects, an intensity to them that Jeongin usually preferred to look away from. 

"I was just helping Seungminnie here out with his reactions," Chan explained, placing his hands on his hips and shooting the brunet opposite him an almost fatherly look of pride. Jeongin struggled to contain his smile as Seungmin flushed and mumbled something inaudible. 

"It looked so cool, Seungmin!" Jisung gushed, causing Seungmin to glance up with obvious surprise. "You're awesome!"

Seungmin stared in shock for a moment, and Jeongin shot him a meaningful look that he hoped conveyed 'say thank you.' Fortunately he seemed to get his message across, or at least Seungmin regained a little of his composure, as he managed to express a quick word of gratitude before averting his eyes. It wasn't dismissive as if had been when he had first met the others, however, and Jeongin could tell Jisung knew that by the way his carefree smile remained on his face. 

"Well, how have things been for you two?" Chan asked as he drew closer, and Seungmin focused his gaze on the coins littering the floor in order to drag them back over. 

"That room is so good!" Jeongin responded, feeling his eyes light up and his chip give an approving tingle at the mere memory. "I've never seen so many computers in one place, let alone such impressive ones. It's amazing!" 

Chan laughed, although there was a dark undertone to his voice as he replied, "JYP never really went underboard for anything."

"Guess what we found as well, Channie!" Jisung didn't seem to sense any of the tension that had flittered fleetingly across Chan's face as he jogged forwards, reaching into the pocket of the hoodie he was wearing. "Innie was the one who first took interest in them, but they were completely out of charge so I-" 

Jeongin deafened himself to Jisung's excited rambling, and instead made his way over to Seungmin, who was sorting through the coins which he had brought over to himself. 

"That's something different," he observed, gazing down at the little glinting disks in Seungmin's hands. Ever since they had met, he hadn't seen the older without his collection of daggers once, and never thought that he would witness the day when Seungmin opted to use something else. 

"Chan suggested I try them out, actually," Seungmin said, giving Jeongin a small smile. "If they're made of iron, nickel or steel they should be magnetic, and the only exceptions I'd have to worry about would be alloys. He said that these might be more practical as they're lighter, I'd be able to smuggle them into places if we had to do anything more publicly, and the wounds they'd leave behind would be less suspicious because they could look like they came from bullets."

Jeongin nodded slowly, every word making sense to him. Chan clearly had a mind for using powers effectively and discreetly, and Seungmin must have thought so as well, if he was taking the older's advice with such dedication.

"I can't believe we didn't think of that," he said finally, earning a defeated yet slightly amused sigh from Seungmin. 

"Me neither."

"Hey, Innie!" Jeongin glanced over at the call of his nickname to meet Chan's gaze. Contentedness filled him as he was met the blond's trademark dimpled smile, and Chan gestured down at the device Jisung was showing off. "This is great. What do you think you can do with them?" 

Jeongin exchanged a quick glance with Seungmin before closing the distance to the others. "Well... I think I could connect them all to another larger external device without any problem. It would just mean we could communicate really easily, and I could monitor the channels from wherever I am so that you guys don't get too much feedback or don't have to hear whatever you don't need to." His chip buzzed with excitement at the prospect of another task. 

"What actually _will_ we be doing?" Jisung took the moment to ask, giving Chan an expectant look. "Innie and I kept talking about all of the things we could do with these earpieces but we didn't actually know the context they'd be used in."

Chan opened his mouth to answer, but a harsh grating noise in the distance sounded before he could. All four of them turned their heads towards the sound, and Chan was the first to move. He clapped his hands together once - a gesture Jeongin was beginning to notice was a bit of a habit of his - and started towards the doorway. 

"I was just about to say we shouldn't talk about it until Binnie gets back. He timed his return perfectly!" 

Changbin was in the process of tugging an assortment of bags through the opening of the lift when they returned to the communal room. His tiredness was palpable from the way he dragged his feet, and Jeongin felt himself pout in pity at the sight. Despite Changbin being his almost-certainly stronger elder, he didn't look that way at all as he turned to regard the others with a pleading whine. 

"My arms hurt. Please don't tell me I'm washing the dishes after this." 

"How did you carry all of that?" Jisung exclaimed loudly, rushing forwards as the other three approached Changbin at a slower walk. He rifled through the bags eagerly, and Jeongin could make out the silhouettes of clothing, along with boxed food and other supplies. With a cry, he leant back to brace himself against the heels of his feet, holding up a particular container with tears of happiness beginning to show traces of welling in his eyes. "You got me cheesecake!"

"Not just for you!" Changbin corrected, though Jisung had already wrapped said dessert in his arms and didn't seem at all keen on letting it go. "I didn't slave myself over getting all of this for you guys just for you to reserve something for yourself. No way."

Seungmin was the next to step forwards, reaching into one of the bags containing clothing and pulling out a fluffy white jumper. He held it up to himself for size comparison, and Jeongin tried not to think about how soft the fabric made his skin look. 

"This is the perfect size for me," Seungmin marveled quietly as he lowered it and folded it gently, placing it back into the bag. He then moved towards some of the ones holding food and picked them up, shooting Changbin a quick smile of gratitude before heading towards the kitchen. "I'm surprised you knew."

"Binnie secretly loves and pays attention to all of us," Chan said, dodging the smack that Changbin aimed for his arm a moment later. His maturity seemed to vanish in the face of teasing his friend as he picked up some bags of his own and moved quickly to position Seungmin between himself and Changbin. 

Jeongin shook his head at their antics, reminding himself that he was actually the youngest, before fixating Changbin under the most searching stare he could. The older froze under the weight of it, and Jeongin was tempted to laugh at just how terrified he looked. 

"Now tell me, Changbin... Did you get any black beans?"

Changbin let out an audible sigh as his body sagged with relief, and he bent down to pick up the rest of the remaining bags. "Oh my god, you brat - you scared me! No, I didn't, so please never look at me like that again."

Jeongin laughed and offered a hand to take part of the load, and Changbin handed some of the bags over with another sigh of relief. The light weight of them caught Jeongin off-guard, and he glanced down to find that Changbin had passed over the bundles of clothing. 

"Where are we going to put these?" He asked, but followed Changbin towards the others in the kitchen nonetheless. 

Changbin eyed the contents of the bag for a moment before answering. "We'll figure out who wants what and then put everything away. You're hoping Seungmin will take that white jumper I'm guessing, since you seemed pretty into that." 

Jeongin felt his face heat, and his head whipped towards Changbin with such speed that he almost fell over. The older let out a short burst of laughter before cooling his expression and shooting Jeongin a quick wink. The bags almost slipped from Jeongin's fingers as he hastened to calm himself, taking comfort in the fact Changbin hadn't announced his observation to the entire room, and therefore seemed to be willing to keep it a secret. 

Chan was in the process of sorting through the food items Changbin had retrieved when they arrived. Jeongin placed the clothing bags just outside of the kitchen area and made his way over to Chan, while Seungmin and Changbin began to chase after Jisung, who was still keeping the cheesecake out of the grasp of anyone else. 

"That's... a lot of noodles," Jeongin observed, watching as Chan unpacked one of the bags he had resting on the countertop. 

"What did you expect from Changbin?" Chan responded with a smirk, bending down to store a box of udon in one of the cabinets. 

Jeongin let out a huff of laughter before taking out the next item: a large packet of small-grain white rice. He held it for a moment and watched in expectant silence as Chan got to work with some frozen vegetables. 

When Chan didn't pay him any further attention, Jeongin cleared his throat and asked, "Where should I put this?"

Chan closed the door of the fridge and paused, shooting Jeongin an inquisitive glance. His eyes travelled down to the rice held in the younger's hands, and he gave a carefree shrug. 

"I don't mind," he replied, causing Jeongin to blink disbelievingly. In response to the skepticism his answer received, Chan shrugged again and gestured widely to the kitchen. "No one else is using this other than us. There isn't a right or wrong place to put anything really- other than the frozen stuff. That has to go in the fridge, I'm afraid."

Jeongin laughed properly that time, and Chan smiled fondly before turning back to the bags. 

The two worked diligently, unpacking the many groceries which Changbin had supplied them with, listening contentedly to the other three arguing behind them over which clothes would belong to whom. Occasionally one of them would be called over to give their opinion, but other than that they were left alone to fill the previously-empty kitchen with their goods. 

When the others left to unpack the clothing into their respective rooms - Seungmin taking Jeongin's share with him - they engaged in a peaceful conversation. With so many options, a slightly daunted Jeongin left Chan with the decision of deciding what they would have for lunch, and the blond eventually settled on lamb and rice. Seeing as it required more effort than the simple cupped noodles they'd had the night before, Jeongin chose to stay in the kitchen and help Chan with the cooking. 

With the loudness of the others (mainly Changbin and Jisung) no longer behind them, Jeongin enjoyed simply talking with Chan about surprisingly mundane things, given their circumstances. They discussed some of their favourite pass-times, and Jeongin found out that Chan had a bit of a thing for music, while Jeongin expressed his admiration and fondness for the trot genre. 

He also found out that Chan's powered meant he was immune to any temperature, when the blond carelessly stuck his hand into boiling water to 'kill any germs' before he washed the rice. Jeongin had screamed so loudly that Changbin had frozen time for five seconds and rushed into the room only to almost collapse with laughter at what he saw, and then continue to be barreled down by a frenzied Seungmin as soon as his powers released their hold on the area. 

It was safe to say that they all let out a collective sigh of relief when the meal was finally completed with no more instances - other than Jisung, who had been napping throughout the entire ordeal. 

"So, what did you guys get up to while I was out?" Changbin asked as they sat down, still rubbing at his back which Seungmin had rammed into minutes before. 

"I trained a bit with Seungminnie," Chan was the first to respond as he poured everyone a glance of lemonade. He made eye-contact with Changbin, which lasted for a moment longer than Jeongin thought was normal, before sitting back down and picking up his chopsticks. "There are really good facilities here, and a lot of equipment. I'm sure it'll come in really handy for us."

"Speaking of coming in handy," Jisung took over smoothly, exchanging a knowing grin with Jeongin. "Innie and I found some pretty cool earpieces that we thought could be useful, didn't we?"

Jeongin brightened as all eyes on the table turned to him, and he hurried to to continue. "Yeah! I'm sure I can work with them a bit and make them super helpful to us! Connect them all, tune them in with a specific computer and have a whole net of communication for us, even if we're split up." 

Changbin nodded, and Jeongin felt his heartbeat fasten at the impressed look the older was giving him. "I see, I see... So what I'm hearing is, you guys were being badasses back here while I was out grocery shopping."

"Pretty much-" 

"But we did need you for something!" Chan cut off Seungmin's cheeky remark, causing the younger to stick his tongue out at Changbin to finish it silently. Jeongin shoveled a mouthful of rice into his mouth as he watched the entertainment, despite Chan's attempts to calm it down. "You see, Bin, it's come to my attention that we haven't exactly said what we're planning to do here." 

Jeongin forced himself into a more serious mindset as he realised where the conversation was heading, as did the others at the table; Seungmin finally put his tongue away and Jisung glanced up from his plate. Jeongin realised with amusement that he was storing the food in his cheeks much like a hamster would, but bit back the smirk and looked back towards Chan. 

"I suppose I should start by laying out what we _have_ to do. Or, more accurately, what Binnie and I have to do," he began, his eyes travelling from each person sitting around the table with equal sincerity. "Given we were trained, fed, and essentially given a home by JYP for years, he wasn't satisfied to simply let us wander off and live perfectly normal lives, having spent so much of his energy molding us into being fighters. So Binnie and I do still need to carry out things like... rescues, attacks, so on and so forth. Whether you guys want to tag along or not is entirely up to you." 

Seungmin was the first to speak, surprising everyone - even Jeongin - with his answer. "I want to come too. If you guys are going to be fighting and risking your lives, I want to be by your side while you do it." 

"You're younger than both of us; you're not allowed to be so protective," Changbin mumbled around a piece of lamb, though there was no real harshness to his words. Instead, he was glancing at Seungmin with an obvious concern, which Seungmin met with a stubborn frown. 

"If you want to come with us then you can," Chan said slowly, though he seemed to share Changbin's worry. "It may take a little adjustment, though. Binnie and I are pretty adapted to working together, so remaking our strategy to fit in a third person may take a few tries to get right." 

Seungmin showed no sign of hesitance, and instead straightened his posture in response to their fretting. "I can handle myself, you know. And at the end of the day it'll be safer for all of us if there's someone else fighting on our side."

Chan and Changbin exchanged a quick glance, sharing a silent conversation that Jeongin could recognise as the type he would have with Seungmin. They finally seemed to reach a verdict, and both shuffled on their seats with a finality as they looked back at the younger. 

"Alright." Chan was the one to concede, though Changbin voiced no further protests as the blond continued, "What does that mean for you then, Innie?"

Jeongin cleared his throat and put his chopsticks down, having not expected to be brought into the conversation so early on. He looked up to observe Seungmin for a moment, before meeting Chan's eye with the same stubbornness. "I'm not a physical fighter like you guys, but I'm coming. I can do a lot in the background, hack into the security system of whatever building you guys are fighting inside of, and also control the earpieces if you need to split up." 

"I'll come as well..." Jisung piped up from where he had been sitting in uncharacteristic silence. He glanced around the table somewhat nervously, seeming caught off guard by the serious tones the others had suddenly taken on. "I'll stick with Innie I think, but do whatever I can from where we are. If something runs out of charge, I can deal with that..." 

Jeongin shot Jisung an encouraging smile, which the other returned with shakiness, before directing his attention back to the table. 

"Okay, so that counts for all of us," Chan said with finality, looking at each member searchingly. He didn't appear to find whatever he had been checking for, and so sat back in his chair as he pushed his now-empty plate to the side and raised his glass of lemonade to his lips. He directed his next question to Seungmin and Jeongin. "What is the strategy you guys used when it was just the two of you? We can try and compromise both of ours together."

"I would track local reports and the private servers of whatever group we were tailing at the time," Jeongin began, reiterating his role in the little system he and Seungmin had established while hiding out together. "We'd then go to the location I would find, I'd hack into the security system and give Seung a run-down of what to expect, and then he'd go in and deal with them."

Seungmin continued from there. "I'd then go inside, deal with whatever I had to, and get out. Innie would then wipe any trace of me and my work from the security footage, and we'd run away before any authorities could get to the site." 

It didn't seem like news to Chan and Changbin, who only nodded in response to what Seungmin had said. Jisung ate quietly to Jeongin's side, occasionally shooting the younger a nervous glance, which Jeongin would do his best to respond comfortingly to. 

"Right... Right, I see." Chan ran a thoughtful hand through his hair and leant forwards so that he could brace his elbows on the table. "Binnie and I haven't worked exclusively together before, so we don't have an established plan like you two. We had just decided we would take things in our own stride and figure it out as we went, so in a way it might be easier if we adapt ourselves into what you guys do."

Seungmin blinked with shock, and Jeongin was sure that he didn't look much better. Perhaps it was because they were both younger and had spent less time working in such intense situations with their powers, but neither had been expecting to have their strategy viewed as the one they would use. Jeongin had been expecting Chan to take the lead as easily as he had with most other things, but he was unexpectedly open to other ideas. 

Jeongin liked that, a lot. 

"Well, um..." There was hesitance in Seungmin's voice, and he exchanged a baffled look with Jeongin. "I guess that if Innie and Jisung are sticking behind the scenes, the rest of us will go out on the forefront? Is there anything we should take into account regarding that...? I've never fought at the side of other people before."

"There's nothing much, really," Changbin responded, having downed the last of his lemonade. "The only thing to take into account would probably be that I can only use my powers once every mission, preferably. I've been trained to fight without them, and given they include a large area and we wouldn't want any civilians caught up in the effects of it, it might be best to avoid their usage if we can. Besides, if I do have to use it twice in a single battle, I'll become more of a liability than an asset."

"So the whole... freezing time thing might be more of a last resort?" Jeongin deduced, earning a nod from Changbin. 

Seungmin's gaze sharpened as he processed the information, and Jeongin recognised his look as one of concentration. Jeongin felt the warmth of pride settling in his heart as he caught sight of Chan watching the younger brunet expectantly and with respect. It was exactly what someone as resourceful and level-headed as Seungmin deserved. 

"In that case," Seungmin began, his words delicately spoken with clear consideration. "While you can come into fighting, Binnie, you shouldn't be using your powers unless we really can't avoid it?"

"That's right," Changbin confirmed. "It doesn't mean we can rule it out, obviously, but we do have to be careful about it. The ideal times for me would be when there's a large group which we can't take without such a large advantage, or when any civilians have been moved from the ten-meter radius that'll be affected by me."

Chan nodded along to Changbin's words; Jeongin expected that they'd spent enough time working together to know well what each other's specifics were in terms of fighting. 

"My powers are best used at close-range," the blond carried on from Changbin with giving Seungmin information, and Jeongin took it in simultaneously. "That's the same for Bin, whether he's using his abilities or not. And since we know each other's patterns well, we're a pretty steady unit I'd say."

A small smile made its way onto Seungmin's face, and he reclined back into his chair with satisfaction. "Well, I'm more of a long-range fighter, given I don't need to use my hands much. That should work perfectly."

Both Chan and Changbin seemed content with that, as they relaxed their own postures and lost some of the seriousness which had suddenly blanketed the atmosphere at the table. Jeongin also felt a lot better as the conversation reached its end, given all of the times he had been left alone with their single laptop as Seungmin risked his life, with no idea what might be happening and only his own worried thoughts to keep him company. Now, not only would they have earpieces to keep in contact, but Seungmin would also have two capable fighters to watch his back, and Jeongin would have Jisung to provide a distraction from any mental fears that might strike out at him. 

Speaking of Jisung, he finally seemed to come out of his intimidated daze as the mood untensed, and looked around at the occupants of the table with an expression of cautiousness. 

"Sorry if I wasn't following but uh... What's actually happening, then?"

"We're going to use our powers to protect people and fight crime," Chan replied easily, as if Jisung didn't fumble with his chopsticks in his shock at the answer. "You'll stick with Innie and deal with anything technical we have to do in advance or during a mission, while Bin, Seungmin and I will get our hands dirty and do whatever we have to do. Seungminnie will mainly stick to long-distance, I believe, while Bin and I will go close-range, and Bin'll only use his powers as a last resort."

"Right!" Jisung squeaked, giving a wobbly smile. He earned himself a sympathetic smile from Chan, and a comforting shoulder-pat from Changbin on his other side. "Right... Right, okay."

Chan let out a long sigh, his lips twisting into a small smile. "All we have to do now is test it out, really. How we do that, on the other hand, is a bit of a mystery to me."

Jeongin chewed on his upper lip thoughtfully as he contemplated the older's words. He glanced up and looked at Seungmin, who was already staring at him, almost certainly thinking the same thing. Seungmin gave a small, almost unnoticeable nod of his head, and Jeongin shuffled forwards on his seat to let the others know that he had something to say. 

Truthfully, he'd wanted to tell it all to their new friends ever since they had entered the bunker and realised just how well-equipped and professional they were - something only emphasised by how Chan and Changbin had wiped any playfulness from themselves when the topic of planning came to light. However, given Seungmin's tenseness the night before and the nature of their conversation, Jeongin had decided against it. Now he had the perfect opportunity to pass over all of the information he and Seungmin had gathered over the months, and an ideal way to present it. Also, the idea of using the large projector he had seen in the computer room was a little too tempting. 

"Seung and I might have a solution for that," he announced, feeling all eyes on the table focus on him. "I can show you if we're all finished. The washing up can be left for a bit later?"

Chan nodded eagerly and was the first to rise, closely followed by Seungmin and a still-hesitant Jisung. Changbin paused for a moment, staring with conflict towards their plates and glasses, before muttering a final 'just because you're cute' and moving to stand next to Jisung. 

"I also want to make all of you guys key cards so we can avoid the lift situation from last night," Jeongin added, beginning to lead the way towards the branching-off hallways. He couldn't deny the happiness that filled him that they all followed seemingly without a second thought, and that they seemed so excited by the prospect of his offer. 

"Oh, please," Jisung breathed, momentarily forgetting about his nervousness to shoot Jeongin an awe-filled look. "I never want to be stuck up there again." 

Chan gushed out another apology as Jeongin turned down the right corridor, recalling the path that Jisung had shown him earlier that morning. The familiar tingling of his chip returned, as if it could tell what they were drawing closer and was already preparing itself for the work that Jeongin would be making it do soon. 

When they reached the plain door at the end of the corridor, Jeongin was the one to reach forwards and push it open. The lights flicked on automatically as he stepped in, like they had been awaiting his arrival, and revealed the interior in all of its beauty. 

"Wow..." Seungmin said quietly from behind, struck with a similar amazement that Jeongin had been overcome with when he had first seen the room. The rush of excitement and intensified tingling was no different, and Jeongin felt himself smile as he pointed towards the box resting on the far wall which contained the earpieces. 

"That's where the other earpieces are," he explained his gesture, causing Changbin to make his way over to examine them. Seungmin hovered at Jeongin's side while Jisung made his way over to the same computer they had sat in front of before, flopping into one of the spinning chairs. 

Chan placed an encouraging hand on Jeongin's shoulder, causing the younger to glance back and await Chan's command. 

"Whenever you're ready, Innie," the blond urged gently, the warmth in his eyes filling Jeongin with a sense of security and determination. "Show us what you've got." 

Jeongin returned the smile that the older directed at him, then started forwards. He still had all of his data enclosed in his chip, and so didn't need to pay a trip back to the computer which Jisung was lounging in front of. Instead, he bypassed the rows of devices and found himself standing opposite the large projector which covered most of the wall. 

Its smooth screen was entirely blank, but Jeongin didn't let its initial unresponsiveness faze him. He brushed his right hand across the little array of buttons lining the bottom border of the projector, and eventually found the right one to switch it on. 

Fortunately it wasn't out of power as the earpieces had been, meaning he wouldn't need to drag Jisung up from where he was now chatting happily away with Changbin. A calm blue replaced the previous lifeless grey of the screen, and Jeongin kept his palm pressed against the button. He didn't need anything in particular to connect himself to a device; usually mere contact was enough for his abilities to reach out and spread themselves throughout a system. 

Blocking out the conversations going on behind him, Jeongin concentrated on making his powers at home with the projector. Once he was content that his chip would be able to recognise and easily connect with it from afar, he stepped back and placed himself in front of the nearest computer. 

With a quick few taps he was able to get it on, and began to patiently reupload the data from Seungmin's laptop onto the wiped and empty hardware. 

"Hey Innie?" Chan's voice carried from behind him. Jeongin made a noise of acknowledgement, but kept his gaze focused on the task in front of him to ensure that no problems in the transferring process arose. "How are you gonna make keycards for everyone?"

An excited tingle worked its way up from Jeongin's palm at the older's words, as if his chip was already itching to begin on another job, despite already working on a separate one. _Greedy thing,_ Jeongin thought with amusement, before he cleared his throat and responded to Chan. 

"There's a specific... code, I guess you could say, which is on your keycard. I'll have it stored in the memory of my chip now, so I could easily replicate it and transfer it onto other things for you guys to use. It doesn't even have to be a keycard if there aren't any others here." 

"Oh, can I _please_ have my code written onto my eye or something?" Jisung asked hopefully. "You know in those spy movies where they scan their eyes to get into the secret places? As long as it wouldn't be painful to get done, in which case I'll have it somewhere else."

"I can't imagine it being painful, but I'm sure its not good for your eye either," Seungmin commented as Jeongin straightened up, having finished his upload. 

The neatly organized files of Seungmin's laptop stared back at him. Jeongin made a mental reminder to connect all of the computers in the room at some point, just so that he could easily access anything he needed from anywhere in the room, but he had a different task to focus on for the moment. He kept his right hand suspended in front of the computer, and reiterated a command to his chip to link with the signature of the projector. 

A few seconds passed before a replica of Jeongin's screen was broadcasted onto the larger one, and Jisung let out a cheer from the back. Jeongin rolled his eyes playfully and stepped away from the computer, turning so that he could face the group. 

"So, you guys know that Seung and I attacked certain crime groups and small gangs, right?" Chan nodded in response to his question, so Jeongin continued, "Well, during the past... six months or so, we found some connections between the groups we were targeting, and discovered that they were actually a part of a much larger gang which has residence all over the country." 

Jeongin leaned forwards and brought his presence back into the computer, directing his powers to reach into the files and bring up a particular software he had constructed himself. The lighting in the room grew significantly dimmer as the previous brightness of the large projector was thrown into a deep black, with only white text to break the darkness. 

"Did you know about this?" Jisung whispered to Changbin as they waited for the rest of the writing to load in. 

"No. JYP usually sent us abroad," the older responded, his eyes fixated on the screen in front of them all. "We never really knew what was going on back here."

Chan's gaze was desperately trying to keep up with the characters which were rapidly appearing on the screen, and Jeongin knew that he probably wasn't making much sense of it, given well over half of it was composed of numbers and symbols. However, in amongst all of the jumbled text, valuable messages were stored, which Jeongin had used to locate and discover the plans of whichever divisions of the gang would be unlucky enough to spread their information on the document. 

"Seung and I discovered that they were split into four divisions, which are based in the North, East, South and West. Overall the gang seems to call themselves 'Clé,' and each division has its own name, apart from the one based in the West for some reason. We never had a run-in with them, and they haven't done anything significant other than the routine monthly updates that seem to be mandatory."

Seungmin appeared to be the only one of the four sitting in front of Jeongin who wasn't desperately trying to read every fleeting message that scrolled by on the screen. Instead, his eyes were focused on the very bottom of it, and judging by the frown darkening his face he had found something concerning. Jeongin turned to take a look, and was immediately drawn to the final message. 

_Chrono's bank, Thurs 20th, midday. M._

"There it is..." Jeongin said quietly, attracting the attention of those sitting behind him. 

"What? What have you seen?" Chan asked urgently, and Jeongin reached forwards to bring the flashing messages to a standstill. He stepped away from the computer so that he was closer to the projector, and pointed at the line which had piqued both his and Seungmin's interests. The words were slightly curved by his finger, and so he retracted it once he was sure everyone knew what they should be looking at. 

"I've heavily veiled myself, of course, but have managed to work my way into one of their key communication channels," Jeongin explained hastily, feeling his pulse begin to quicken as Chan sat up in his seat in realisation. "They often use it to warn of raids or attacks that they might be planning, so Seung and I found this really useful to pinpoint where they were and be one step ahead of them. We wouldn't attack them on everything they did; they're too far spread out to get to all of their locations quickly enough, and we wouldn't have wanted to alert them to someone having so much information on them."

Changbin was the next to understand Jeongin's explanation, and he pursed his lips for a moment before speaking. "So there's going to be an attack- a robbery, I'm guessing, on a bank called 'Chrono's'? Or is 'Chrono' a person who owns the bank? And what does the M at the end mean?"

Seungmin answered, seeming entirely unfazed by the older's onslaught of questions. "The M stands for Miroh. It's one of the names for a regional division of the gang - the one based in the North, Innie and I found out. Can we see if there are any banks up North called-"

"'Chrono's bank', just over fifty miles North from here," Jisung said quietly, taking them all by surprise. He was staring at a computer screen of his own, hands poised over the keyboard having presumably just conducted an Internet search. 

"That's it, then," Jeongin said, feeling a flash of pride that they had managed to locate the site of target so quickly, and that he had managed to find something for Chan with such efficiency. "You said that we need something to try out our plan on. How is this?" 

Chan's eyes remained glued to the message, as if he was searching for a hidden threat or other sign of danger. When he found none, he leant back in his chair and let out a low whistle. 

"We're going to need to know more about this gang, and their subdivisions, to know exactly what we're up against," he began, regaining a familiar tone of authority that gave Jeongin a grounding sense of security. They'd seemed to have since moved past the phase of 'only tell if you are comfortable,' and Jeongin felt relieved that they had reached that level of trust. Seungmin showed no sign of discomfort at the thought of sharing their previous discoveries, and Jeongin certainly approved of the thought of having the help of others to take down the groups which they had been tailing for so long. 

"And then?" Seungmin prompted carefully, giving Chan an expectant look. 

"And then..." Chan repeated, glancing in Jisung's direction. "Sungie, what's the date?"

Jisung blinked for a moment before whipping his head back towards the computer and squinting at its screen. "The, uh... The seventeenth." 

"Right," Chan turned back, and Jeongin found himself fixated under an intense yet trusting stare. "In that case, we'll lie low for a bit and get ready. We'll refine our plan, then... I suppose we'll prevent a robbery." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yoooo I was not expecting to get this finished tonight, but here we are! I hope it was alright :D
> 
> Here we finally got a little glimpse into Jeongin's mind and the (very different) relationship he has with his powers! His relationship with Seungmin also was touched on, perhaps-? We also seem to be learning more about the aims which the Strays are going to follow, too...? ;o And I wonder who might show next... 
> 
> For now, thank you so much for reading, and for the comments and the kudos! They really do mean the world to me :"3
> 
> And please feel free to contact me on Twitter @beanwillstay
> 
> <3


	5. {5}

_Hwang Hyunjin,_

_We are sorry to inform you that we have detected some unusual action regarding your financial account. Please visit Chrono's Bank or call the following number by mid-afternoon on Thursday the 20th so that we may confirm your identity and details, and make any adjustments necessary._

_0#### ####_

_Our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience._

_-Chrono's Bank_

Hyunjin glared down at his phone as the train rocked his body methodically. He had already reread the message many times since leaving his house earlier that morning, but his irritation hadn't subsided one bit. 

Of course he would be forced to leave the quiet peacefulness of his home in the countryside and travel to the city because his bank had messed up. Of course the train had to be completely packed with people, meaning he could smell every snack packet being passed around, and would get uncomfortable chills from the mindless shuffling of feet on the floor. And of course there had to be a baby crying just a few seats behind him. 

The only mild comfort for Hyunjin was the protective wall his headphones put between his mind and the shrilling sobs resonating from three rows back. He was still aware of the racket, and the hair on the back of his neck still stood up with discomfort, but at least he wasn't suffering a migraine on top of his frustration at being dragged out of the house. 

After sending one more disdainful look at his phone screen - which was dimmed to the minimum - he switched it off and stuffed it into the pocket of his jacket. Letting a small, long-suffering sigh slip past his lips, he angled his body further towards the window and looked out in the direction of the steadily approaching city. 

He absolutely despised the place. 

Or, more specifically, he despised the fact that he couldn't live there. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but simply that his sanity wouldn't be able to handle it. The mere thought of the noise, the flashing lights and the constant honking of car horns and screeching of brakes was enough to send a throb of pain through Hyunjin's temple. He closed his eyes to try and block the thoughts from his consciousness, desperate to savour the last moment of his peace he would have until he boarded his return train later that afternoon. 

_Just get in and get out,_ Hyunjin told himself mentally, forcing his eyes to reopen as the train ground to a halt and people began to shuffle from their seats. 

He felt the familiar weight of inquisitive gazes on his back, and pointedly ignored any stares as he stood and took his shades from their case and slid them onto his face. It was something he was more than used to by now: people's confusion as to why he was wearing sunglasses when the sun itself was nowhere to be seen, or why he never took the large headphones off from where they smothered his head. 

At least back in his hometown, people knew of Hyunjin's 'weirdness' and didn't question it anymore. The city was different, and everywhere Hyunjin went people would send him sympathetic smiles, and steer away from his path as if he would shatter if his arm merely brushed against that of someone's else's. 

It made Hyunjin want to slap them, stomp his foot onto the ground and cry, but after doing that many times during his teenage years he realised that it wasn't the best plan of action. 

Instead, as much as it killed Hyunjin inside, he pretended that peoples' obvious prejudice to him didn't exist. He would stalk down the pavements in the city with his head held high, blond hair styled fashionably and skin shining flawlessly beneath the streetlights, and pretend that he was a model showing off the latest style rather than the accessories which had cursed his entire life up until that point. 

Perhaps he hated the city because it reminded him of everything he could have been if it weren't for his _abilities,_ as his parents would call them. Hyunjin hated the word, because it made them sound like a good thing. 

He stepped from the train, and immediately felt the vibration of thousands of shoes pressing against the hard concrete flooring of the station. He forced his legs to move forwards and ignored the persistent trembling, concentrating instead on his route to the bank. 

Fortunately it was relatively close to the station, so he didn't have to worry about crossing the entire city to get there. The short walk was long enough for him, as he had left his mask at home and so was completely exposed to the pungent scent of car fumes which made him want to gag. In the end he had to raise a hand to cover the lower half of his face, earning even more confused looks as he made his way down the street which should lead him to the bank. 

"What should I get for dinner tonight-?"

"I thought you said he-"

"There's this good restaurant close to my flat if you want to-"

"What's with that guy in the glasses?"

"Imagine thinking headphones that big are still cool."

_Be quiet..._

"He looks cute as well. If he wasn't wearing _that_ I might have-"

Little snippets of conversation made their way past the shield of Hyunjin's headphones, and despite his best efforts he couldn't numb himself to the words. Those which were refined with a judgmental sharpness and were clearly directed at him were especially hard to tune out, and he tried to convince himself that the sudden wetness of his eyes was due to the way the polluted air of the city blocked his airways and tickled the back of his throat. 

It was painful, how Hyunjin was so aware of every conversation and every person around him, yet still felt so detached from the world. 

If he was younger, he might have run home to his parents and asked one of them to come with him, or make the call to the bank because it was agonising for him to hear the static voice which came from the phone. However, now that he had grown up, he had distanced himself from the sheer humility he felt every time he was forced to ask for help regarding something, and so had no other option than to tough out visits to the city by himself. They never got easier, as Hyunjin had hoped. If anything, each trip filled Hyunjin with an even more aching sense of loneliness than the last one had. 

When his eyes finally zeroed in on the bank at the opposite end of the street, taking in the intricate carved patterns on its exterior walls and the sophisticated interior, Hyunjin let out a sigh of relief. He lowered his arm from where it had covered his mouth and nose and paced forwards, reaching into his pocket to take out his phone so that he could show the message to whoever would serve him. 

The coldness of the door handle shocked his palms as he pushed the door to the bank open. He was immediately greeted by the natural warmth that accompanied such close gatherings of people, along with the muffled sound of paper being organised and words being exchanged. 

Hyunjin stepped inside, flinching slightly as the door slammed shut behind him. No one in the bank's reception area glanced up at his arrival, and so Hyunjin slowly made his way over to the cushioned seats of the waiting area. 

The bank had a certain peacefulness to it, with the constant tapping of fingers on a keyboard, murmured voices, and an all-round sense of security and collectiveness that the chaotic atmosphere of the city was missing. For a moment Hyunjin was tempted to reach up and take his headphones off, but had to remind himself that he just couldn't be sure if something would happen that would catch him off guard. 

It was better safe than sorry; he had learnt that long ago. 

"That's Hwang Hyunjin," a hushed voice filtered through Hyunjin's headphones, and he glanced in its direction. He was easily able to spot two young employees standing just behind the counter, one glancing not-so subtly at Hyunjin and whispering down to the other. "He's here to confirm some security details, so it should be a fairly simple task. Call me over if you need help, and don't ask about his accessories! I know what you're like."

The who had been spoken to nodded, and Hyunjin turned away. Undoubtedly they could have no idea that he would have heard them, but he didn't want to risk seeming any more unusual than he already was. 

Seconds later, he heard the sound of approaching footsteps, and glanced up to see the smaller of the employees making her way over to him. She had a friendly smile, and didn't even blink as Hyunjin regarded her from behind his dark shades. _Clearly making sure she follows orders,_ Hyunjin thought idly as she sat down on the chair opposite him without hesitation.

It was touching when someone tried to make him feel normal, though it never really worked. There was always a nervous glint to their eyes, or they would bite their lips just one time too often as if they were uncomfortable, and Hyunjin would quickly remember why they were trying to act so natural in the first place. He wanted people to treat him like they would anyone else, yet when they did, he didn't like it. 

Hyunjin really wasn't sure what he wanted. Perhaps just for someone to understand, though he knew that would never happen. 

"Sir, can you hear me alright?" The woman opposite him asked. Hyunjin rolled his eyes, the gesture fortunately concealed by his glasses; she hadn't done quite as well with being discreet as he had anticipated. 

He nodded nonetheless, and she beamed at him, making him feel a little guilty for his lack of patience with her. He was just on edge to be in the city, annoyed that he had been robbed of lying in bed all morning, and wanted to go home to where it was quiet. 

"Right!" Her voice was slightly louder than would be considered normal, as if she didn't quite believe Hyunjin could hear her properly. He was used to that. When he wore such large, unsightly headphones no one would consider that he could still hear everything so clearly, just with a layer of blurriness to it almost, like bubble wrap might encase a sharp edge of a table to prevent people from hurting themselves when they rammed into its jutting edge- 

The world seemed to explode. 

Hyunjin only knew that a sound louder than any he had been exposed to before had seemed to project itself at him from every direction. It was followed by a deafening silence and eerie, disconcerting ringing that he had also never experienced before. 

He was only aware of pain- pure agony which screamed at him from his ears, his head, his legs, his arms- 

Hyunjin couldn't hold a single thought. Every time he tried to form something coherent in his mind, the terrible ringing in his ears would break it down and devour it, returning him to an almost comatose state. 

Gradually, Hyunjin became aware of a few things. The first was that he was no longer sitting, but now was lying on his side with shards of broken glass littering the ground in front of him. A red liquid coated some of them in a sparkling shine, which led him onto his second realisation: the scent of blood was so strong that he could barely breath without choking on his own horrified disgust. And the third was that people were screaming, their terrified cries being the only thing that could tear past the constant ringing in his mind. 

Hyunjin stared numbly in front of him, taking in the flashing lights and ruined interior of the bank. It was all so bright, but for some reason he couldn't close his eyes. They watered with the length of time he kept them open for, as frankly, he was worried they would be closed forever if he gave in and lowered his heavy eyelids. 

Movement suddenly travelled across his blurred vision, and Hyunjin could just about make out the outline of shoes as a large group of people rushed past him. He opened his mouth to call out, but his voice refused to work and the people were gone seconds later. 

However, when Hyunjin heard the words uttered from their direction, he grew thankful that he hadn't managed to say anything. 

"How long do we have?" Someone rasped, their voice gruff with a harshness that chilled Hyunjin to his core. 

"Thirty seconds before police get here. Maybe less; you know what the security is like around here." A second voice, no less scary than the first. 

"Then we've got to be quick. Follow me." 

Their conversation grew further and further away, but Hyunjin paid no attention to their direction or whatever they said next. Instead, he was suddenly extremely aware of how crisp their words had been, cutting through the disconcerting ringing in his head to fill his thoughts with their words. That shouldn't be possible, he shouldn't... 

_Oh no..._

His headphones lay on the ground in front of him, snapped in half by whatever blast had ripped through the bank moments before. Hyunjin felt his panic only grow when he saw his glasses lying a little way off with their lenses completely smashed, explaining why the world had suddenly become so much brighter, the light so much more vicious. 

Hyunjin didn't know what to do. Sensation was beginning to seep back into his muscles as his fear made his heartrate pick up, but he was beginning to lose all sense of logic and sensibility to the mind-numbing terror that had filled him at the sight of his broken accessories. They weren't just accessories, they were everything to him, the only way he could keep going- 

He couldn't remember rising to his feet, but suddenly he was standing amidst the wreckage of the reception area. The true extent of the damage passed through him like a quick jolt of shock, and the stench of death made his head spin, but it was nothing compared to the agony that hit him when he glanced towards the now-ruined windows which led out to the city. 

As if the simple turn of his head had opened up a gateway for sound and sight to completely bombard his senses, he staggered at the wave of feedback he received. Lights flickered across his widened eyes, only to disappear a moment later into threatening blind spots, and the _noise._ It reached into Hyunjin's lungs and squeezed, and an unimaginable pressure built in his head as he was swamped with screams, sirens, shouts, cries, screams, screams, screams- 

All Hyunjin knew was that he had to get away. 

And so he turned and staggered further into the bank, fleeing the reception area on legs that threatened to collapse beneath him with every step. He didn't have a clue where he was going, only that the further he was from the chaos, the better. 

He staggered through artistically-decorated corridors, his breath passing his lips in pitiful gasps. Tears threatened to escape his eyes as subconsciously the memory of what had happened, the friendly employee looking so very still on the floor, returned to him, but for the moment it was as if a single instinct had taken over his mind and was pushing him forwards. He needed to be further from the noise - he needed somewhere quiet and he wanted to _rest._

"Oh damn, that's a lot of jewelry." 

His feet finally ground to a halt as a familiar voice drifted down from an opened door in the corridor just ahead of him. He recognised it as the second from the group who had passed him in the moments following the explosion, and felt a cold bead of sweat run down from his temple at the memory of them. He finally connected the dots: they had caused whatever had happened, and now they were in the room just in front of him. 

But Hyunjin couldn't go back, not to the noise of a city which was torn apart in fear. What could he do? There was nowhere else to go, if he walked forwards then he would be right in the line of sight of these criminals, and if he went back then he would be exposed to the agony which had almost driven him mad when he first heard it, what could he-

And finally Hyunjin's knees buckled, sending him crashing into the wall to his left. The pain the impact drilled into his side was barely noticeable against the constant throbbing of his head, and he was sure that the wet streams sliding down his face were tears. 

"This is the first vault. We'll just-"

"-How long have we been?" 

"This is going to change everything-"

"Maybe Levanter will finally stop bossing us around-"

"-Should we-?"

_How many of them are there?_ Hyunjin thought with despair, letting his head loll back to rest against the wall behind him. He never would have had a chance of escaping if they found him, and an indescribable fatigue had settled into his limbs which he found himself unable to be rid of. The sense of hopelessness only intensified when he heard a foreboding 'click,' recognisable as that of a gun being loaded. As if his situation couldn't have been any more dire, it sounded like they were armed.

His mind screamed at him to run, or at least attempt to flee, but he was incapable of doing anything but listen to the dark chatter of the group in the room beyond. His nervousness spiked at every little sound they made, every footstep that he feared would lead them out into the corridor where he had fallen. 

If they found him... When they found him, he was sure they would- 

He wondered at how it had come to this. If only he hadn't been so sensitive to the idea of phone calls, if only he didn't cringe in such a way when he heard a voice through the receiver, and therefore could have dealt with everything at home. If only he was normal, if only he didn't have these stupid _abilities-_

"Shit." 

Hyunjin blinked open his eyes - damn, he had told himself closing them wasn't a good idea - at the sound of a new voice. It was far closer to him than any of the others had been, and Hyunjin found it didn't fill him with as much discomfort, despite the foul word it had uttered. He tried forcing himself to look up, though he didn't have the strength to move his head, and so only caught a glimpse of a blue jacket before the speaker crouched down in front of him. 

The first thing that struck Hyunjin was how very calm the other looked. Despite the intensity which shone in his dark eyes, the stranger's face was a serene mask which managed to soothe Hyunjin simply by looking at it. Small lips pouted in a mixture of frustration and concern as Hyunjin was studied, and finally the black-haired person spoke again, though it was clear he wasn't talking to Hyunjin. 

"Chan, there's a civilian here and I don't think I'll be able to move him in time. I thought you said everyone was outside!"

" _Are you sure you can't get him to move?_ _Seungmin and I are a little busy here._ " Hyunjin startled when he heard another disembodied voice, but couldn't place where it was coming from. It had a slightly static texture to it, as if it was someone calling in from a different location, and he realised with a small jolt that the stranger had an odd device in one of his ears. He squinted at it; the haze in his mind had lifted slightly since the appearance of the other, and he found himself a little more capable of thinking coherently. 

Suddenly there was a warm, comforting hand pushing Hyunjin's damp hair back from his face, and he blinked back into awareness to notice that the person was staring at him with an urgent look. 

"Can you move?" He asked Hyunjin in a peculiarly soft voice, cutting through the muddled thoughts which continued to fog Hyunjin's brain. Despite the comforting feeling of the other's palm resting on his forehead to root him, Hyunjin found that his voice still refused to work. 

Barely a second of silence passed before the stranger was rising to his feet, and Hyunjin's body gave an unwilling tremble as he was left alone on the ground again. He watched mutely as a pair of trainers began to move towards the continued mumbling coming from the criminals in the room further on, and realised with a belated sense of dread where the black-haired male was heading. 

"He's not gonna move and I think he's pretty out of it. I have to go in there and we'll deal with the consequences-" 

"Wait!" Hyunjin's voice startled himself, and the stranger too it seemed, judging by how his feet stopped moving immediately and pivoted to face Hyunjin once again. 

Swallowing the dryness in his throat, Hyunjin used the unexplainable strength he had gained to tilt his head up, meeting the dark eyes of the stranger. He wasn't sure why he was doing what he was going to. Perhaps it was because he knew he was going to die and wanted to do a final good deed, or perhaps it was because despite all of their flaws, his powers might be able to save a life in their last moments. 

"Don't go that way. There are dangerous people in there, around seven-" Hyunjin winced as he shook his head to fight the black spots which were trying to invade his vision. "No, no, there are eight. And I think they're armed. Don't go." 

A strange stillness seemed to settle over the corridor, and Hyunjin squeezed his eyes shut to try and dull the throbbing of his head. He had done what he had to, and now was going to succumb to the merciless pain. 

And then... it all stopped. 

Hyunjin had no other way to explain it. Every noise suddenly ceased to exist, and his furious migraine disappeared along with it. He couldn't move at all, and couldn't even open his eyes to see what had happened, but for some reason that didn't matter to him at all, because finally he had some peace. 

With time frozen all around him, Hyunjin drifted off.

* * *

He was lying on something soft when he came around. For a moment it was as though his body was floating, but there was a light weight covering him from the neck down, and his head was resting on something distinctly comfortable. 

His senses began to wake up along with him, reaching out and absorbing information from little details in his surroundings. He could hear his own steady heartbeat in his ears, along with someone else's just beside him. There was a distinct smell of disinfectant and cleanliness, suggesting that wherever Hyunjin was had been well-tidied and was safe. He could also pick up on a strange earthly scent, though didn't linger on it long. 

Hyunjin's entire body was aching and there was a persistent thrum in the back of his head, but he couldn't remember how he had wound himself up in such a condition. He also wasn't sure where he was, and why his eyelids felt abnormally heavy, but found that despite the unfamiliarity of everything he wasn't frightened. Whatever he was lying on was just so comfortable, and the presence of the person at his side was comforting, even if he didn't know who they were. On occasion he would pick up on the sound of a pencil scratching against paper, suggesting that the person was writing something, and so Hyunjin focused his hearing on it in order to distract himself from the headache that continued to bloom behind his temples. 

"I mean... How do we know he didn't just look into the room before Binnie showed up? Maybe he ran away from the explosion, and then found himself just outside of the vault, saw how many of the robbers there were, and then passed out due to his injuries?" 

A voice tore Hyunjin's attention away from the person beside him. He couldn't tell where it was coming from, but it was slightly distorted as if it had come from another room. Although far-off, Hyunjin could easily pick up on the tension in it, even though it sounded smooth and pleasant to his ears with an almost velvety tone. 

The speaker's words struck something in him, and he had a hunch that he was the one being talked about. The rest was a mystery to him, however, and he racked his mind for memories of 'robbers' or an 'explosion,' and found nothing. 

"He wasn't injured, though..." Another person spoke, their words quiet and thoughtful. "Only minor things, nothing that should have knocked him out in such a way." 

"Then maybe it was stress?" The first voice responded, and Hyunjin struggled to keep up with what was being said. 

If they really were talking about him, as Hyunjin assumed, then he must have fallen unconscious for some reason. They seemed just as lost as he was in terms of the reason, but it would explain why he had woken with a throbbing head in an unknown place with no memory of how he had landed himself there. 

"I saw him wince when I replayed the security footage. It was like he was extra sensitive to... everything, really," said a new voice, his tone airy and light despite its contrasting contemplativeness. 

Hyunjin gradually felt the sense of comfort from before evaporating from himself, as if being peeled off by the words being spoken elsewhere. 'Sensitive,' they had said, a description which immediately filled Hyunjin with panic. If they were suspecting him of being that way, then he must have done something extremely careless, and so he tried to remember what with even more desperation than before. 

His lips then parted with a fearful realisation. The voices had cut through the pained cloud of a migraine he had developed with too much clarity. It had been a while since he had been able to hear people from another room so clearly with his headphones on, and he then understood that was because he wasn't wearing them. There was a dreadful bareness to his face too, and he knew even without opening his eyes that he was missing his glasses. 

_Oh god... What happened to me? What have I done?_

"I'm telling you guys, none of it was normal. He flinched at every little sound, couldn't seem to look at me without squinting, and knew _exactly_ how many robbers there were. I couldn't hear a thing from out in the corridor."

Hyunjin gasped as a familiar voice joined the others. He didn't know why it filled him with such emotion, and presumed that it must have had something to do with the memories he had lost, but his eyes were suddenly blinking open to be met with the blinding white glare of a medical room. 

He squinted defiantly against it, though the light did nothing to soothe his headache. The unexplainable need he felt to find the most recent speaker controlled his movements and he pushed himself up from his lying position as his gaze roamed around the room in front of him, landing on a few beds identical to the one he was resting on and bare surfaces of cabinets. 

His search went fruitless though, as he found no one to bring back any more rushes of emotion. He was about to fall back onto the comforting fluffiness of the pillow when he caught sight of someone sitting at his side. 

A pair of wide, brown eyes stared back at him, slightly concealed by a messy fringe of dark hair. The person's mouth was open as he regarded Hyunjin with clear surprise, his cheeks full and skin soft-looking. He certainly didn't look threatening at all, especially as he fumbled to close the little notebook he had open on his lap - presumably what he had been writing on to cause the sounds Hyunjin had heard before tuning into the conversation elsewhere. 

"Uh... Uh..." The person gulped audibly before breaking eye-contact with Hyunjin and looking towards the door at the other side of the room. "Guys, he's awake!"

And with that shout, every ounce of comfort Hyunjin had gained from the other person vanished. It was as though his voice had broken through the tugging in Hyunjin's mind and wiped it into a full-blown agony. 

It was all Hyunjin could do not to scream, and a long groan passed his lips as he leant forwards and pressed his hands against his ears, which felt as though they were radiating heat. He barely noticed the sound of the door being thrown open, or the apologetic stutters of the person beside him, and instead squeezed his eyes shut to try and block out the searing light of the room which was suddenly far too bright for him. 

"W-What did I do? I only called for you guys, I didn't mean to-" 

"Still believe he isn't _super_ sensitive to stuff?" The familiar voice said, a certain element of triumph in it, but Hyunjin didn't feel as much passion as he had the first time he had heard it seconds before. The migraine had spread from his temples to his entire head, and it felt as though the pain had completely overtaken his body. Light danced on the back of his eyelids, and he sensed the wetness of tears pushing at their edges with how much agony he was in. 

"Don't worry about it, Sung," another person spoke softly, and Hyunjin recognised it as the one which had talked about his lack of injuries earlier. "Innie, can you turn the lighting down in here? We need him to be able to look at us."

Barely a second passed before the intense pressure Hyunjin felt projected onto his eyes lessened. His head continued to throb horrendously, but he relaxed the way he had squeezed his eyes closed and tried to cool his expression into one that didn't require quite as much force to uphold. 

It fell silent all around him, but he was still aware of the presence of the other people by the occasional shuffling of feet or rustle of clothing. Little by little, the iron grip the migraine had on his mind began to loosen, and he found himself able to blink open his eyes very gradually. 

The lighting of the room had been dimmed to a far duller, softer golden glow. Any of the searing whiteness had thankfully gone, and Hyunjin waited gratefully as the darkened spots in his vision began to clear. His hearing was still greatly impaired by the continued headache, and he could open pick up on occasional sudden bursts of sound from the wordless people who surrounded his bedside, but at least his sight had returned to him in a slightly more normal manner. 

Hyunjin's eyes initially travelled to the now-empty seat next to his bed where the person had been sitting and writing before the shout. When it turned out to be unoccupied, he looked further back, and caught sight of said person standing awkwardly a little way off. His features were just as soft and honest as they had been when Hyunjin had first seen them, and there was a clear apology conveyed on his face as he bit his lip and glanced away. 'Sung,' one of the others had called him. 

He turned his head slowly to try and lessen the pain that shot through him at the action, and gazed upon the four newcomers who had entered while he had been overloaded. 

The one standing closest to him had a mixture of warm concern and weariness as he returned Hyunjin's stare. The light curls which framed his face made him look equally as unthreatening as 'Sung' had, but there was something that made Hyunjin feel slightly more alert. His sharpened sight could easily pick up on the slightly distrustful way the blond was surveying him, and filled himself with the same feeling. 

Two people were standing side by side just behind, looking at Hyunjin through large eyes. One had an obviously suspicious stare on his face, which somehow didn't sit well with the youthful softness of his features, while the other blinked at Hyunjin with nothing but harmless curiosity. Hyunjin's observative gaze was immediately captured by a faint sheen of light being emitted from the person's right hand, but he couldn't properly see what it was being emitted from. 

His eyes trailed off to the final one who stood at the foot of his bed, and he felt his breath stutter. 

Black hair, a blue jacket, serenely calm expression and dark irises that shone with an intensity which filled Hyunjin with that same unidentifiable emotion from earlier- 

"It's you," he said quietly, his voice hoarse to his own ears. Something flickered in the other's expression, and his gaze left Hyunjin to survey the blond who stood closest to Hyunjin's side. 

Feeling left oddly lost with the way he was being ignored, Hyunjin shuffled to look directly to his left as well. The blond ran a tense hand through his light curls, an obvious turmoil passing over his face before he fixed Hyunjin under a breathtakingly earnest stare. 

"So you recognise Changbin. Can you tell us if you remember anything else?" 

There was no hostility in his tone, but Hyunjin found himself extremely keen to tell the truth. He also felt that responding with 'nothing' wasn't the desireable answer, judging by the weighted looks he was receiving from every member of the room, even the dark-haired one with the soft cheeks standing to his right. 

He desperately thought back to the moment he had first seen 'Changbin,' since that was the only lead he had as to what happened. Fortunately the others appeared relatively patient, and didn't probe for anything else as Hyunjin let his eyes flutter closed to concentrate and try to reenact everything that had happened in his head. 

Changbin's calm yet intense expression had been one of the things which had prompted recognition in Hyunjin, along with the rough deepness of his voice, and so he focused on that. He could just about picture the other crouching in front of him in a narrow corridor, a strange device fastened to his ear, before he muttered something and stood to leave. 

He could remember a mind-numbing pain similar to that he had just experienced, and the way his body had ached as though he had fallen. 

"There was an explosion." His voice seemed to speak before his thoughts could catch up, but with his words the rest of the memories came rushing back to him. "I was... visiting the bank in town because there'd been some mess-up with my security details, and then there was an explosion. I was scared, ran backwards into the bank and... then Changbin found me." 

As he reiterated it aloud, Hyunjin felt the weight of what had happened sink into him with the force of his memories. He detected tears springing to his eyes once again, though they weren't caused from a physical pain as they had been before. Rather, he suddenly felt like crying for the sheer amount of fear and death that he had been able to sense in those terrible moments; the sight of the ruined reception area was too clear in his mind and he just wanted to be rid of it. 

He was also overwhelmed by the complications that would have developed, such as the loss of his headphones and glasses, and his sudden disappearance. How long he had spent unconscious was unknown, but he was sure that he would have been identified as one of the people inside of the bank when the explosion went off - he made quite an impression, after all. 

Everyone must think he was dead. His parents were probably relieved they didn't have to deal with him anymore. 

"Do you remember what happened after Changbin found you?" The blond continued to question, though judging by the newfound softness in his eyes he had picked up on Hyunjin's emotional fragility. 

Hyunjin pursed his lips as he tried to remember, eagerly taking the opportunity to redirect his focus to something other than the massacre. He still wasn't entirely sure just how he had survived with such minimal scratches, but decided not to get too hung up on something he should be grateful for.

"He tried talking to me, but I couldn't reply... Then he went to leave," Hyunjin said slowly. He thought for a moment, recalling how he had shouted out a warning to Changbin just before the other had departed, but decided against reporting that. Even though all five of these people seemed to know it had happened, perhaps he could pass it off as being something he had said in the spur of the moment, and had since forgotten about. "And after that for a few seconds, it was like... I don't know. Like everything just stopped. It was weird, but it might just have been because I hit my head or something like that." 

It was almost unnoticeable, and if it weren't for Hyunjin's sharp eyes then he would have missed the quick glance the blond sent around at the people standing beside Hyunjin's bed. He could tell easily that his words hadn't been desireable, and felt a pit of dread settle in his stomach as 'Sung' seemed to pale considerably. 

_Maybe I should have lied after all..._

"Hyunjin, how did you know how many people there were in the room?"

Changbin's words were sharp-spoken, and succeeded in snapping Hyunjin's attention back to him. Both the bluntness of his question and the sudden use of Hyunjin's name were quite unnerving. 

"I... How do you know my name?" Hyunjin responded shakily, struggling to maintain eye-contact as Changbin appeared to be determined to drill a hole right through into Hyunjin's heart with his searching gaze. 

A throat was cleared to Hyunjin's left, and he graciously accepted the opportunity to look away from Changbin, instead glancing towards the light-haired person with the glowing palm. The other's mouth was downturned at the edges, and his hands were fidgeting just in front of Hyunjin's mattress. Although he was clearly feeling sheepish about something, it felt nice to be looked at with something other than concern, suspicion and... whatever Changbin's stare meant. 

"That might be my fault..." the light-haired person said, and Hyunjin recognised his voice as the airy one from out in the hallway. "Your phone was in your jacket pocket, and so I might have hacked into it... not that there was much to find other than a few details." 

Hyunjin could only blink in response. He might have found it strange if it had happened before the run in at the bank, but given all that Hyunjin had been through and witnessed recently, he couldn't find it in himself to feel surprised that someone so innocent and sweet-looking could hack into his phone. It was slightly unnerving, but he certainly didn't feel upset as the person seemed to think he might. 

"I'm Jeongin." 

Hyunjin's gaze refocused on Jeongin at the other's words. He was staring at Hyunjin with an open expression, despite the sharp intake of breath the light brown-haired one behind him, and the way Chan seemed to stiffen. 

"And I'm Jisung," the one on Hyunjin's other side spoke up with equal confidence; the fearfulness which had previously clouded his face had disappeared to be replaced by a more mature calmness. He met the warning look of the blond with stubbornness, and both surprised and warmed Hyunjin with his next words. "What? We know what he's called, and I just scared him half to death again. He's woken up in a strange place having nearly been killed by robbers. The least we could do is tell him our names." 

A silent conversation seemed to pass between the two standing opposite each other, one that Hyunjin found himself unexpectedly unable to decode. Usually he was good at telling what people were thinking by little twitches of their facial muscles, but couldn't deduce anything from these two. He wondered how close they must be to communicate with such ease. 

After a moment or so passed, the blond on Hyunjin's left let out a sigh and the tension seeped from his shoulders. He looked down at Hyunjin, who felt a blessing wave of relief wash over him as the guarded harshness of the other's eyes were entirely replaced with an apologetic and kinder shine. 

"Sorry, Hyunjin... My name is Chan." 

'Chan,' Hyunjin repeated mentally. He nodded lightly, making sure to keep his motions restricted as it still felt as though his head might fall from his shoulders if he moved it too much. 'Jeongin, Changbin and Jisung. Chan.' His eyes travelled to the only one he didn't know the name of, who was still standing beside Jeongin with a cautious frown on his face as he surveyed Hyunjin. He didn't seem quite as distrustful as before, but Hyunjin could still tell that the other wasn't nearly as open to him as Jeongin and Jisung were.

"Seungmin," he said finally, and Hyunjin could immediately connect him to the smooth, almost velvet-like voice he had heard earlier. 

'Chan, Jeongin, Seungmin, Changbin and Jisung.'

_Chan, Jeongin, Seungmin, Changbin and Jisung._

Hyunjin clung onto the knowledge of their names with an emotion he couldn't understand. A lot of what he was feeling was a mystery; he just couldn't explain why, despite the unfamiliarity of it all, he wasn't more fearful of these people. There was something stirring in Hyunjin, something unidentifiable but strong and persistent all the same. He didn't know what to do with it. 

Whether it was the clinging exhaustion of his body, the continuous throbbing of his head, or that peculiar emotion that softened the hesitance Hyunjin should have felt, he found himself desiring to tell these people everything. They were odd, but he couldn't forget how quickly they had identified his pain as being connected with the lights, and Jeongin - who he assumed was nicknamed ‘Innie’ - had turned them down. Since entering, they had also clearly been making an effort to keep their voices at a lower volume, and so a small part of Hyunjin wondered if there was a minute chance of them understanding what he was living with. 

"I can sense things," he said emotionlessly, breaking the silence. All eyes turned to him, and he could feel the weight of all of their gazes. He looked to Changbin, who seemed to be hanging onto his every word. "In response to your question, about how I knew how many people there were... I've always been able to hear things others can't, and my eyesight is a lot better than anyone else's I've ever met. I was able to hear how many people there were in that bank by the number of different pairs of feet I could hear moving.

"It doesn't just apply to those two senses, but they're the ones which I feel the effects of the most. I think that... I must have passed out because of the headache caused by the sound of the explosion, or something like that, but..." He refocused his gaze towards Seungmin, who had lost all of his previous guardedness in light of Hyunjin's words. "I heard what you were saying outside just now, and I wasn't really injured. It hasn't happened in a while, but if I'm left without protection against things such as loud noises my body can just shut down from the pressure. I think that's what must have happened." 

Much to Hyunjin's surprise, his confession wasn't met with the disbelieving scoffs he was used to. Rather, the group visibly relaxed. 

Jeongin brightened and gave Seungmin a hopeful smile, causing the other to avert his eyes and watch Hyunjin with a more open look of curiosity. Jisung let out a loud sigh- only to slap his hands over his mouth a second later and look apologetically at Hyunjin, who waved it off with a grin that caught even him off guard with how genuine it was. Chan bowed his head, his face losing all trace of worry that had made Hyunjin uneasy in the first place. 

Changbin was the only one who didn't show much of a reaction. He bounced idly on the balls of his feet, his expression remaining calm and collected as Hyunjin struggled to break eye-contact. 

"That's all we needed to hear," Chan's soft voice came from Hyunjin's side. When Hyunjin met the blond's gaze, he was startled by the sudden deep understanding he saw reflected there, and tried to ignore the way he heart tugged to be looked at in such a way. No one - not even his parents - had ever seemed so connected with him, and he had barely known Chan for five minutes. 

_What the hell is happening here?_

Just before he could open his mouth to ask, Chan straightened up and looked towards the people surrounding Hyunjin's bed with a sense of finality. They all perked up as his gaze landed on them, and Hyunjin was very quickly developing the idea that Chan had been named as some sort of unofficial (or official) leader of the group. 

"Let's get Hyunjin settled in for now..." He glanced down at Hyunjin again, who immediately understood why the others - especially Jeongin and Jisung - seemed to admire him so much. There was a maturity and calmness in Chan's eyes which sent waves of comfort throughout Hyunjin's body and mind, and for a moment he forgot about the throbbing pain in his head. "Is there anything we can do for you to make you comfortable for the moment, Hyunjin? I promise that we'll tell you everything, but you still don't seem to be... a hundred percent."

Hyunjin was sure that he looked absolutely awful, and upon raising a hand to thread through his hair he confirmed that it was matted and requiring a wash. His skin felt clammy to the touch, and he rubbed at the drying tear tracks which stained his cheeks. He thought back to Chan's question, and tried not to focus on how undeniably happy it made him that the blond seemed so keen to make him comfortable. It was a privilege he had never been graced with before; even his parents had just decided by the end that he would never really feel at home anywhere. 

"I um..." He cleared his throat, which felt parched as though he hadn't drunk in days. "I can't stop myself from having these heightened senses at all, so to manage them I would always wear... shades, and noise-cancelling headphones? But they both got broken in the explosion and I don't have any spares on me..." 

Chan didn't bat an eyelash at the specifics of Hyunjin's request, and nodded simply in acknowledgement. "Alright, we can get that for you. Bin?"

"On it," Changbin responded immediately. He turned and departed from his position near Hyunjin's bed, pacing over to the door at the end of the room and swinging it open with significant care to keep quiet. He shot a final look behind him, giving Hyunjin a small smile. "Feel better soon."

And with that, he was gone. 

Hyunjin swallowed the lump in his throat and averted his eyes from the closed door, turning to ask Chan where Changbin had wandered off to and what it had to do with his headphones and glasses, but found that the blond was already focusing his attention elsewhere. 

"Can you guys go and make Hyunjin something to eat, and bring some water too?" He requested to Seungmin and Jeongin, earning two obedient nods from the pair. 

Hyunjin's mouth dropped as he watched them turn to leave as well, astonished by the sudden kindness that Chan and his group were showing him, and how trusting they all seemed to be of him. As the haziness clouding his mind continued to slip away and more memories returned to him, he could recall Changbin speaking aloud upon finding Hyunjin in the corridor, and saying something to 'Chan.' He was clearly the one they all looked to for advice, and Hyunjin felt suddenly a lot safer to have him standing so close by. 

"Nothing spicy or too flavourful, I'm guessing?" Jeongin raised his voice from the soft murmur they had all been using as he approached the door with Seungmin. 

Hyunjin watched with obvious shock for a moment, caught off guard by how they continued to treat him in knowledge of his powers. "Yeah... Thanks."

People would always make an effort to be more quiet around him back in his hometown, and would pointedly ignore staring at his headphones or shades, but despite it all Hyunjin would feel more alienated than ever. They would be so obvious about it, such as someone clearing their throat as a warning when he entered the room, and immediately a hushed silence would fall over its inhabitants. 

On the other hand, while Chan and the others acknowledged Hyunjin's sensitivity, they also treated it with normality, and didn't look at him with pity or contempt when he would flinch or have to narrow his eyes in response to his surroundings. Rather, their actions conveyed an understanding which filled Hyunjin with hope, and he just wished that it wouldn't be found without reason. 

"Are you in any pain, Hyunjin?" Chan asked, momentarily leaving Hyunjin's side to walk over to one of the other beds and take a chair resting beside it. On his right, Jisung inched forwards and placed himself in the same seat he had been in before, though his notebook and pencil were left discarded on the table next to Hyunjin's head. 

As Chan sat down as well, Hyunjin was fixated under the same searching yet kind stare which he was gradually beginning to get used to. He had since learned that it was best to tell Chan the truth, and he no longer felt tempted to do anything but. 

"My head hurts, quite a lot... It usually happens when I hear something too loud." 

Jisung bowed his head to Hyunjin's side, and it was clear that he was still feeling guilty over shouting earlier. Hyunjin gave him the most reassuring smile he could, and much to his delight Jisung returned it without hesitation. 

"Oh... I see." Chan's voice was laced with concern, and Hyunjin was touched with how much the blond seemed to hate the idea of him hurting. 

_He doesn't care,_ his mind whispered, but the look in Chan's eyes told Hyunjin otherwise. 

"Is there anything we can do for that?" Chan asked after a moment, his calming tone cutting through Hyunjin's unwelcome thoughts and disconcerting headache. 

"I take painkillers, if it ever gets too bad?" Hyunjin responded hesitantly, watching Chan's face for any twinge of annoyance which Hyunjin would regularly see on his father's when he complained about the migraines. 

Instead, Chan gave another understanding nod and looked towards Jisung, who was already rising to his feet on Hyunjin's other side. 

"I can check through the cabinets for something. I'm sure there are painkillers in here somewhere..." The dark-haired male mumbled thoughtfully, making his way towards a set of drawers just behind him. 

"Oh, you really don't have to worry, I can manage-"

"Seeing as I'm the one who caused your headache, I think it's the least I can do," Jisung cut off Hyunjin off with a hesitant grin that still seemed to ooze guilt and sheepishness. Hyunjin desperately wanted to tell the other than it wasn't really a problem, and that people had done far worse to him in the past, purely for the sake of seeing him cower away, but Jisung had busied himself with his search before he could. 

So as an alternative, he looked back to Chan, whose soothing gaze had returned to Hyunjin. 

"I'm sure that... you probably have a lot of questions," Chan began slowly, and Hyunjin could practically see the thoughts whirling behind his dark eyes. He was desperate to know everything that Chan was thinking, but there was a certain hesitance to the blond, which was soon verbally elaborated on. "I'm happy to answer any and all of them, but there also is quite a lot to talk about... and given your current state of health, it might not be best to overwhelm you just yet."

For a moment Hyunjin worried that Chan was treating him with the same fragility that Hyunjin had loathed all of his life, but the logical part of himself dismissed it. His entire world had, quite literally, been blown up that morning, and his head was still an absolute mess of muddled thoughts and consistent throbbing. Chan's concerns were understandably found. 

"So," Chan grinned, and Hyunjin realised with a little pang that he had dimples. "Where should we begin?"

Before Hyunjin could respond, the door at the end of the room slid open, and a light-haired head peeked in. Jeongin's eyes were wide with the same innocence which had warmed Hyunjin's heart when he had first looked at the younger (Hyunjin didn't want to consider the possibility of Jeongin being older than him) and he stepped into the room carefully. 

"I brought water and your phone - sorry for taking it while you were sleeping," he whispered, tip-toeing over to Hyunjin's bedside table. He placed Hyunjin's phone gently onto its surface, along with a glass of water. 

Hyunjin's attention was immediately taken by the sight of something through the liquid, and could identify it as the thing that had been causing the subtle glow from Jeongin's hand earlier. It seemed to be a chip of some sort, covering most of his palm with its smooth metallic surface and intricate design. Lines had been engraved into it with such precision that Hyunjin's head gave another throb of protect as he tried to process them, and tiny lights seemed to dance across its surface. 

It was beautiful. 

"I'll go back and help Seung," Jeongin announced quietly as he straightened, giving Hyunjin a quick smile. He also had dimples, Hyunjin noticed with fondness, and since when had he become fond of Jeongin? "Do you like pancakes, Hyunjin?"

Hyunjin murmured a quiet affirmation. Truthfully his headache was making him feel nauseous and he doubted whether he would be able to eat, but Jeongin seemed so excited by the prospect of cooking for him that Hyunjin didn't bother speaking up. Strangely, he already felt quite an attachment to Jeongin's smile, and didn't ever want to see the younger without it. 

"Really? You guys are making him pancakes for dinner?" Chan questioned incredulously, earning a happy shrug from Jeongin as he padded out of the room again. 

Hyunjin, on the other hand, did a double take at the blond's words. "Sorry- did you say dinner?"

He had arrived at the bank at roughly midday, so if the meal was dinner as opposed to lunch, Hyunjin was unsure of how much he could have missed out on. Chan appeared to pick up on Hyunjin's sudden panic, and twisted on his chair so that he was facing Hyunjin completely. 

"Yeah, it's coming up to eight now," he said after a quick glance down at the watch on his wrist. "I was guessing you'd be hungry since you've been out for several hours."

_Several hours..._ Hyunjin leaned back against his pillows, letting the fact settle in. He still felt completely exhausted, and doubted that the trauma-induced sleep he had been forced into hadn't acted as a normal rest would. 

Against any logical ideal, Hyunjin didn't find himself concerned about what his parents must be thinking at that point, or how he was going to explain his sudden disappearance when he finally returned to his home town. In contrast, his thoughts immediately went to Jisung who had been sitting beside his bed when he had awoken, and wondered if the group had kept someone posted with him at all times. 

_What a burden..._

"I found some!" As if sensing Hyunjin's thoughts had drifted to him, a happy cheer came from Jisung's direction. Fortunately he was far enough away that it didn't do too much to worsen Hyunjin's headache, but that didn't stop Chan from raising an abrupt finger up to his lips, or the comical gasp of horror that Jisung let out a second later. "Sorry, sorry, I'm awful at this-" 

Jisung had almost dropped the little box which he had retrieved from a cupboard in his haste, but after a moment to regain his composure, he carried the small container over to Hyunjin. It was a simple box of painkillers, Hyunjin observed as Jisung drew closer, and while he wasn't sure of how much it would really do for his headache, it was better than nothing and he appreciated the efforts Jisung had gone to get it for him. 

Using the water that Jeongin had just brought in, Hyunjin took two of the pills and settled back against his pillows. Jisung reclaimed his seat at Hyunjin's right, exchanging a quick glance with Chan across the bed, and the three settled into a silence that Hyunjin knew would have to be broken by him. 

"So um... I don't really know what to ask..." He felt a nervous smile play at his lips as he glanced between the two in front of him, neither of whom showed any impatience towards his uncharacteristic shyness. "I just want to know what happened, really? Who you guys are, where I am... What I should do now..." 

"Well," Chan took charge of the conversation, and Hyunjin silently thanked the other for his initiative. "Maybe let's start by making you feel more comfortable with us and who we are. But to do that effectively, can I ask how comfortable you are with your... heightened senses? Do many other people know?" 

Hyunjin couldn't help the humourless laugh which left his mouth, seeming to startle both of the people in front of him. "I'm aware that I'm not normal, if that's what you're asking. Everyone in my town was aware of it to some extent, though only my parents really knew how sensitive I was to everything. I think the other townspeople just thought I was a bit of a wimp, or an odd one who they should avoid." 

Chan nodded along to Hyunjin's words, maintaining that same collected and calm look on his face. It filled Hyunjin with a confidence to keep talking; the lack of negative reaction he received was unlike anything he had ever met in his life, and he couldn't lie and say that it didn't make him desperate to confess every painful experience he had been exposed to. 

"My parents were always a little confused, because I would cry all the time when I was younger. Usually it was because they fed me something which was too strong and I didn't like the taste of, and so they learned what foods I liked best. As I grew older, though, they realised that I was extra sensitive to every little thing, including other senses like hearing and sight. They told me not to tell anyone about it because people wouldn't understand, and that other kids would bully me at school... Obviously they still did, because I was the weird boy who walked around wearing sunglasses inside and always had headphones covering his ears." 

Jisung lowered his head to Hyunjin's side, and something in his forlorn expression suggested to Hyunjin that the story was causing a reaction within him for some other personal reason. His response, though saddening to watch, gave Hyunjin more confidence to talk, as Jisung didn't seem filled with pity, but rather his own sense of relatability. 

"I isolated myself as soon as I was old enough to leave home. My parents would give me enough money to live off of, and I just lived alone - given people would only really take me seriously if I was without my 'accessories,' and whenever I took them off we would have to be in darkness and whispering to each other. I only left my house to shop, exercise, and take trips into the city whenever something came up there." 

"And your bank needed you to come in today," Chan finished for him, earning a small nod from Hyunjin. "Alright, well... Thank you for telling us that. I'm sure it couldn't have been easy."

It seemed to be the first time Chan hadn't been able to understand Hyunjin, as it really had been quite the opposite. Hyunjin had almost enjoyed the chance to set out (a very brief) recount of his lonely, miserable life up until that point to someone who would listen carefully without telling Hyunjin that 'it was alright,' and 'he was normal.' Hyunjin hated being lied to, just as he hated the gazes of sympathy he would be fixated under every single day. 

"Who are you people?" He asked, a newfound confidence in his voice. Perhaps the memories of his childhood and teenage years had put him into a sour enough mood to lose his initial shyness, or the painkillers were beginning to kick in and he was gaining more of a sense of the worrisome situation he had been put into. 

He was in an unknown place with a group of unknown people, who he had felt very complied to trust at first, but now was starting to realise that trusting someone so easily was never the best idea. Since when had anything good ever come from trusting someone who was nice to him? Hyunjin should have known- 

"We're like you. We're what normal people might classify as... well, 'not normal.'" 

And with that, every ounce of suspicion that had built up in Hyunjin over the past moments dissipated to be replaced with a painful hopefulness. He knew immediately what Chan meant by those words, but there was still a small part of himself that was disbelieving, despite the nagging sense of belonging that he had felt ever since waking up surrounded by the odd group of five. 

He looked from Chan to Jisung, who wasn't showing any further reaction to the blond's words. Rather, Jisung was looking at Hyunjin intently, and Hyunjin could recognise something in the other's eyes: understanding. It wasn't like the calm, comforting one of Chan's, but instead a more raw and emotional bond which caused Hyunjin's heart to tug. 

"Prove it... Prove it to me," he whispered, his lips almost refusing to move through the paralysingly strong hope he was filled with. If they were lying, if they thought it was just a joke... 

"I'm... probably not the safest person to do it," Jisung said with a chuckle, scratching sheepishly at his cheek. He broke eye-contact with Hyunjin to look pleadingly at Chan. "Channie?" 

"Oh... Yeah, of course." Chan's voice brought Hyunjin's attention back to him as he sat forwards in his seat, his hands clasped in front of him as his gaze roamed around the room. He didn't look at Hyunjin as he spoke next, though his words were as clear as ever. "I have the ability to manipulate heat, meaning I can raise and lower temperatures that I come in contact with. It also means I'm immune to- ah! Sungie, could you pass me a page of your notebook, please? Preferably an unused one." 

"As if I'd let you burn any of my lyrics," Jisung mumbled, reaching across to Hyunjin's bedside table to pick up the small notebook which he had left there. As Jisung opened it into his lap and flicked through the pages, Hyunjin prepared himself for the shredding noise of paper being torn by raising his hands to cover his ears. Jisung waited until he saw Hyunjin was ready before doing the action, and then passed Chan the now-single page across the bed. 

Chan took the paper with a smile of gratitude, and Hyunjin lowered his hands to rest them back against the mattress beneath him. He watched as Chan held the sheet on one palm, leaning back in his chair pursing his lips in silent concentration. 

If Hyunjin was expecting the page to dramatically burst into bright orange flames, he was disappointed. In retrospect, he shouldn't have anticipated such an explosive action from Chan, given how careful the other had been about not overwhelming Hyunjin up until that point. Instead, the first thing that gave away Chan's usage of power was the faint scent of burning, which Hyunjin's heightened senses picked up on with ease. He wrinkled his nose in discomfort, earning a small grin from Chan, before the paper began to burn at a mesmerisingly slow pace.

Delicate trails of smoke rose in the air as the paper withered away in Chan's open grasp, as if doing a final dance as its life came to an end. Hyunjin watched silently, struck both by the beauty of the image and the connotations that came from it. 

_He didn't lie..._

Before Hyunjin could stop himself, a choked sob was leaving his throat, accompanied by the familiar sting of tears to his eyes. A hand shot out from Jisung to his right, and moments later he could feel comforting fingers threading through his matted hair. Chan let the embers on his palm die out and fall to the floor, which Hyunjin watched with an awe-filled, teary stare. 

"You're not alone anymore with this, Hyunjin..." Jisung's soft voice came from his side, weighted with the same emotional understanding which Hyunjin had seen in his eyes earlier. It was clear that he had been through the same - or at least something very similar, and Hyunjin finally allowed himself to take true comfort in that fact. 

He wasn't sure how long he sat there, weeping quietly to himself. Jisung continued to stroke his head in a way that would have left Hyunjin feeling quite humiliated if he wasn't so in need of the contact, while Chan had placed a comfortingly warm hand onto Hyunjin's back to try and subside the shaking of his body as he cried. 

When his tears finally seemed to dry out, as he had cried quite a lot that day already, Hyunjin tried to blink the sudden dryness from his eyes. Jisung held the glass of water in front of his face, and he took a thankful sip of it, washing away the unheard sobs that were still trying to escape from deep within his chest. 

Only when he heard the small 'thud' of the glass being placed back onto the table did Hyunjin allow himself to make eye-contact with the two beside him again. Neither seemed to have thought anything negative of his meltdown, although Jisung's eyes did suddenly look suspiciously red themselves. 

"You... Are you the same?" Hyunjin managed to get out, watching as Jisung forced his lips into a wobbly smile. 

"Yeah... I can't show off what I can do like Chan can, at least not here, and I don't _really_ know the specifics of my abilities yet, but..." He trailed off for a moment, gnawing on his bottom lip in a way that made his cheeks seem even more round. "I guess if Chan can manipulate heat energy, I can do the same for electricity? I caused quite a few power outages when I was young."

Hyunjin let out a small huff of laughter at that, despite the way it felt as though his heart had been dragged through hell and back within the space of a few hours - as that was pretty much what had happened. Jisung just seemed to have a way of bringing light on a situation that Hyunjin really could have dealt with throughout his life, and he wondered if Jisung had developed such characteristics by being forced to be his own light in the dark times. He wouldn't be surprised, judging by everything he had seen from the other thus far. 

"The... the bank," Hyunjin said, his words beginning to slur due to his exhaustion. Almost dying, being entirely overwhelmed by his senses, and then breaking down in the presence of two virtual strangers was unsurprisingly quite a tiring set of ordeals. "Did Changbin have anything to do with the whole... time-stopping thing? I wasn't sure if I was imagining it, but..." 

_Given what I've just seen, I'm not so sure,_ his mind finished for him, but his voice trailed off nonetheless, his tongue feeling like a heavy and unmovable weight in his mouth.

His tiredness didn't go unnoticed by Chan, who exchanged a quick glance with Jisung over the bed. 

"I think for now we should let you rest," Chan said finally, giving Hyunjin an apologetic yet softly stern look. "We can tell you more when you next wake up and the others are here, but before we leave you to sleep... Can I ask whether you'd want to go home as soon as you can? We'd be happy for you to stay with us as long as you want, but understand if you'd wish to go back to somewhere familiar."

Hyunjin thought over Chan's offer with as much clarity as he could with his lethargic mind. While the painkillers had caused his headache to subside a little bit, he was still in a lot more pain than he wanted to admit, and the fascination with the group remained as strong as ever. Having seen at least one other person who might understood how Hyunjin felt, and perhaps lighten the burden of believing he was the only one in the entire world who wasn't 'normal,' he couldn't deny the yearning to know more. 

"Can... Can I stay here for a bit?" He asked, looking up hopefully at Chan. He was welcomed with the same warm gaze, and a quick look towards Jisung showed that the other didn't have any protests either. 

"Of course." Chan stood, while Jisung leant back into his seat and picked up the notebook and pencil from Hyunjin's bedside table, as if he was planning to stay there. "We'll figure everything out, but there isn't any rush. You're safe here with us, Jinnie." 

Hyunjin felt a small smile rise to his lips in response to the nickname, and with Jisung's help he managed to lower himself down into a lying position again. As he was gazing up at the softly-glowing lights of the ceiling, which no longer stung his eyes as much as they previously had - thanks to Jeongin - he remembered what the younger had been up to while Hyunjin had been talking with Chan and Jisung. 

"The pancakes," he said suddenly, struggling to keep his eyes open with the sleepiness that threatened to close them. "I can't eat the pancakes if I'm asleep. Will they be upset?"

Chan only responded with a short laugh before Hyunjin heard the door at the end of the room slide shut. Jisung glanced up from where he had been focused onto his lyrics again, an easy-going smile on his face which battled away the worries that Hyunjin had just developed. 

"It'll be fine. Seungmin's pancakes are usually too buttery, so you won't be missing out on much. Trust me from experience." 

If Hyunjin was a little more awake, he might have tried to ask Jisung more. He was still desperate to know all he could about the group of five, though he realised that his desires had gone from wanting to know their motives to their characters and little quirks, everything that made them human. However, the softness of the pillow beneath his head and the security that the light blankets provided as they covered his body became too much, and Hyunjin found himself drifting off to sleep with the soothing sound of a pencil scratching against paper beside his head. 

When he next awoke, he was feeling significantly better than he had been before. With the help of the painkillers Jisung had provided him, and the near-silence he had rested in, the throbbing of his headache had been reduced to a very occasional pulse which barely caused him any discomfort. 

With one of his senses no longer completely dominating his awareness, Hyunjin was able to better pick up on the little features of the room. While he did undoubtedly resent his powers (when did he start calling them 'powers?’) for what they would do to him, there was a beauty which he couldn't deny about them when he used them in full force. He hadn't conditionally in so long that he had almost forgotten the delicacy of sounds when they weren't muffled, or the moving visual imagery of shadows against soft light. There was also a sweet, fruity smell from just beside his head.

As the remaining weariness of sleep released itself from his mind, Hyunjin very quickly became aware of the slow breathing which resonated from his right, where he remembered Jisung had been sitting earlier. 

_Is he still here?_ Judging by how refreshed Hyunjin felt, he must have been asleep for quite a while, and immediately grew indignant at the possibility of Jisung spending that entire time on the uncomfortable chair at his side. 

Rubbing the blurriness from his eyes, Hyunjin slowly propped himself up in bed. The sheets shuffled beneath him at the movement, and he would have flinched at the noise if it hadn't been so peaceful. Once comfortable, he glanced to his right, fully prepared to berate Jisung for sleeping in such a position despite having just met him so recently, only to find that it wasn't Jisung there at all. 

A familiar head of black hair was downturned, the person's chin resting against their chest above their folded arms. Hyunjin recognised the blue jacket which had been thrown over the back of the chair, leaving the person in a simple back T-shirt. He tried not to focus on how muscular Changbin's exposed arms revealed themselves to be, and instead cleared his throat in an attempt to wake the other, as the position hardly looked comfortable to sleep in. 

Changbin stirred, unfolding his arms to stretched them out in front of him. They brushed against the sheets covering Hyunjin's lower body, seeming to remind him of where he was, as his narrowed gaze shot up to look at Hyunjin barely a second later. Hyunjin almost laughed at how Changbin appeared to be so caught off guard, greatly contrasting the coolness of his exterior that Hyunjin had come to associate him with. 

"You're awake," Changbin stated bluntly, his voice somehow even rougher as his continued to drag himself from the remnants of sleep. "And I fell asleep here. Oops." 

Hyunjin was slightly surprised by how informal he was all of a sudden, but welcomed the newfound friendliness nonetheless. He raised an eyebrow at Changbin, who blinked and settled back into his chair. "And why did you fall asleep here? It will do nothing good for your back. You'll get all hunched over." 

"Ah, another junior who only belittles me and treats me with contempt," Changbin sighed defeatedly, though Hyunjin could pick up on the glint of amusement in his dark eyes as his gaze wandered around the room. 

"How do you know I'm-"

"Innie found your date of birth when he went through your phone, and I would apologise on behalf of your privacy, but you're being a brat to me when I stayed by your side with such loyalty, so now I'm not going to."

Surprisingly, Changbin didn't seem the slightest bit out of breath following his long statement, and Hyunjin made a mental note to never get into an argument with the older on behalf of his lungs. 

"Why _are_ you here?" Hyunjin asked after a pause, causing Changbin to glance at him again. "Where is Jisung? And what time is it?" 

"Calm it with the questions, buddy," Changbin drawled, adjusting his body so that he sat on the chair in a more comfortable position. He glanced down to his wrist, and Hyunjin noticed that he was wearing a watch of the same style as Chan's. "It's just gone midnight, so Jisung's asleep... And I'm here so that you didn't panic when you woke up, just in case you had that memory-loss thing you seemed to have earlier. I also wanted to show you what I got, so you could feel more comfortable sooner." 

Hyunjin watched as Changbin's eyes trailed towards the table beside his bed, and so glanced in its direction as well. What he saw made his mouth drop open. 

Having gone from being entirely bare, sparing Jisung's writing equipment and Hyunjin's phone, Hyunjin now found the wooden surface was almost invisible due to the layer of items covering it. His eyes were immediately drawn to the plate which was placed against the corner closest to Hyunjin's pillow. Three large, cream-covered pancakes were placed in a neat pile on it, with some carefully-cut strawberries covering them, presumably producing the fruity scent Hyunjin had smelt upon waking. He questioned Jisung's words of Seungmin being hopeless at making pancakes, because they looked very good in his opinion. 

His gaze barely lingered on them, however, as his attention was quickly captured by the large assortment of sunglasses that littered most of the table. They ranged from different sizes to different shaped and coloured lenses, and even the frames seemed to have their own flair of individuality. There was also a large set of headphones resting just behind them, and another smaller yet no less impressive pair of wireless earbuds. 

"Oh my god... How much did this _cost_?" Hyunjin all but screeched, giving Changbin a wide-eyed look of indignation. The other shuffled somewhat uncomfortably in his seat, very pointedly looking anywhere but at Hyunjin. 

"Not too much, don't worry."

"But... But why did you get so much?"

"I don't- I wasn't really sure what I was looking for! I didn't know if there were any colours that would work best, or what style you wanted for the frames, and then when I went to get the headphones I thought they just looked really clunky and uncomfortable, so I thought I would get some of those wireless ones for you, but I didn't know if they would actually help so I decided to get the big, chunky ones as well." 

Changbin didn't even stop to breathe as he rambled, his words scrambling together with the speed he was speaking at. Hyunjin was sure that they looked rather comical, with his own face still slack in shock and Changbin's flushed red with breathlessness. 

An awkward silence settled over the two. Changbin watched with nervous anticipation, as if waiting for Hyunjin to begin testing out his new pieces of equipment, while Hyunjin was still too busy gawking at the sheer variety of the collection. Finally Changbin seemed to grow tired of the pause and cleared his throat. 

"You can uh... try them on, if you want. Or have the pancakes. They're really good. I might have eaten one of them because I got hungry." 

With Changbin's gaze still boring into him, Hyunjin reached forwards and brought the plate towards himself. Some of the strawberries wobbled precariously, as his grip was still rather weak, but thankfully Changbin didn't comment on it. He stared down at them, marveling at the care which seemed to have gone into their preparation. 

Changbin hadn't been lying: they really were good. Hyunjin was used to having to force food down because his taste buds would always feel as if they had been set alight if he ate something remotely spicy, and anything too sour or bitter would cause tears to spring to his eyes. The pancakes that Seungmin and Jeongin had made, however, were the perfect mixture of sweet, savory and fruity tanginess, both clearing Hyunjin's mind and simultaneously calming it. The only imperfection was the buttery aftertaste, and he recalled Jisung's comment about Seungmin's butter habits with amusement. 

As Hyunjin ate, Changbin had busied himself with trying on a few of the glasses he had set out on the table. It was a little distracting, given Changbin would ask for Hyunjin's opinion on occasion when Hyunjin's mouth was full, but also erased any awkwardness that still hovered in the atmosphere. Hyunjin even felt himself laughing a few times, when Changbin would try on a particularly vibrant pair that Hyunjin was beginning to think the older had only gotten for some comedic relief. 

He hadn't initially realised it, but his thoughts would keep returning to the calm, yet somewhat cold expression on Changbin's face when he had found Hyunjin in the bank. While he had seemed concerned, there was also an irritation to his voice as he had communicated with Chan, which had only intensified when Hyunjin hadn't been able to respond to any questions that he asked. Hyunjin had been too out of it to recall what Changbin's reaction to his warning had been, but he could remember the way he had been pushed to the side before, and while he understood that Changbin hadn't known anything about him, he couldn't lie and say that it didn't sting slightly to think about. 

Being treated like a nuisance wasn't unfamiliar to Hyunjin. 

Now, however, he was seeing a side to Changbin that he wouldn't have believed possible, considering what he had seen of the other until that moment. He was very clearly fooling around for Hyunjin's benefit, to make him feel more at home, and it was quite a change in treatment. It was almost as though a switch had been flipped, transforming Changbin from the dark, aloof stranger in the bank, to the goofy and smiley person who Hyunjin felt he could now confidently call a friend. 

"Um... Changbin?" He mumbled around a bite of pancake as Changbin put a pair of pink-framed sunglasses back onto the table. "Can I ask you something?" 

Changbin nodded in response, settling back into his chair and regarding Hyunjin with an open look. 

Hyunjin hesitated for a moment before lowering his fork. He watched Changbin carefully, keeping a observant eye out for any change of mood in the elder as he spoke, "What happened at the bank?" 

Changbin grimaced at the question, though Hyunjin could tell that it wasn't out of reluctance to answer. Instead, he seemed almost embarrassed as he averted his eyes, rubbing his hands together in front of him as if he was growing nervous. 

"Ah... Chan or Innie are probably the better people to ask, since they know more about the details and all of that, but I guess I can do my best to explain it... You deserve to know." His words were earnest despite the hesitance in his voice, and Hyunjin's features softened with gratitude. While it was clear Changbin wasn't too confident, Hyunjin would gladly take any information he could get regarding what had happened, desperate to try and rid himself of some of the confusion surrounding the events there. 

"When the others are awake and the time is a little more convenient, we can tell you about how we came to find each other and all of that..." Changbin began slowly, shooting a quick glance towards the doorway as he mentioned his friends. "But in terms of the bank? We managed to get information on an attack that was going to be happening there, along with the date and time, so we decided that we would try and use our powers to stop it, or at least do our best to minimize the damage. We didn't realise there was going to be a bomb, though, so had to scrap the planned structure we'd made and just treat it with a bit more care.

"Originally I wasn't supposed to be so far into the bank, but that's mainly because we were wanting to try and stop the robbers before they even got through the main reception area. Innie thought they were just going use guns to threaten their way in and out, which Chan and Seungmin would have been able to handle easily. With the bomb, though, they slipped through our fingers so I was sent in to deal with them instead... Innie had hacked into the security cameras, you see, and located the vault they were hiding out in. He said that it was far enough out of the way for no one else to feel the effects of my powers as I dealt with them, but then... Well, I came across you." 

Hyunjin remained silent as Changbin talked. Undoubtedly he was only conjuring up more questions, but Hyunjin did feel relieved that Changbin was being as truthful with him as he could for the moment. He was feeling even more curious about the group, the strange base that they seemed to be settled in, and of course their powers, but for the moment he was content to take it slowly with Changbin in the stillness of the room. 

"What is your... ability?" Hyunjin asked once it became clear Changbin wasn't planning to say anything else. 

"Ah... I can stop time around me in a ten meter radius for five seconds." 

Hyunjin let out a small gasp of recognition. Changbin's words just confirmed to him that the strange, limbo-like state Hyunjin had fallen into just before losing consciousness was because of the older after all. From the moment Chan had revealed that the others had abilities of their own, a silent question had always nagged in the back of Hyunjin's mind, about if what had happened had all been up to his imagination, and now he finally had his answer. 

Part of Hyunjin was still caught up in a muddle of questions, such as who the attackers were and why they had gone after his bank in particular. He was also curious about Seungmin and Jeongin, especially as he recalled the chip which had been embedded into the palm of the latter. However, Hyunjin could also remember how Chan had seemed reluctant to talk about the others in too much detail when they weren't present, and doubted Changbin would be any different. It was quite warming to see the comradery and loyalty they seemed to have for each other, and Hyunjin wondered absently if he would ever be able to achieve that with anyone. 

So instead of continuing to interrogate Changbin, Hyunjin leant across and picked up the pair of wireless earbuds that had been left on the table. They felt extraordinarily light in his grasp, and seemed to slot almost perfectly into his ears. 

He'd never worn them before: they were expensive and his parents barely gave him enough to get by as it was. But as Hyunjin allowed their sound-proofing to smother the world in a muffled blanket, he realised why they cost so very much. 

"How are they?" Changbin asked somewhat apprehensively from his side, leaning forwards on the chair to give Hyunjin a wide-eyed look of anticipation. 

Hyunjin let a short breath pass his lips, almost speechless at how much effect the simple accessories had on Changbin's voice. It was no longer as rough and sharp as it had been before, and instead had a softer, lighter tone to it. Or perhaps that was just Hyunjin's imagination, as he realised just how much the other had done for him within a day. Even if Changbin had been initially cold and contemptuous, the older had seemed to be the main one to stand up for Hyunjin while he was unconscious, and might well have saved his life. 

"I... They're great," Hyunjin responded after a pause, causing Changbin to fall back into his chair with a contented sigh of relief. "But- how am I ever going to repay you for this?" 

Changbin scoffed and waved an unbothered hand, as if trying to swipe Hyunjin's inquiry out of the air. "It's fine, seriously. Money isn't a problem here."

Hyunjin sensed that there was another opportunity to ask a question regarding that, but also that it might be something best left for when the rest of the group was there. Changbin appeared to be a little uncomfortable talking for anyone but himself, for the sake of their privacy, but Hyunjin was feeling just a tad too awake to be content to go back to sleep without any further questions. And so, he decided to steer the conversation in a direction that wouldn't make Changbin too uncomfortable: that of Changbin himself. He placed his fork onto the plate and moved it back to the table, clearing his throat pointedly to get Changbin's attention.

"I'm guessing you're the one who got me out of that bank. Why did you do that? And why did you bring me here?"

Changbin's expression shifted slightly into seriousness, but he didn't seem to be against answering. Instead, he raised his gaze to meet Hyunjin's eyes, and Hyunjin felt as if he had been stripped entirely bare with the intensity in Changbin's dark irises. 

"If there's anything I've learnt from being with Chan, meeting Seungmin, Jeongin and especially Jisung, it's that people like us shouldn't be alone." Changbin didn't look away, and Hyunjin found he was unable to either. "As soon as you gave the warning, I knew that there was something different about you, and I couldn't leave you behind. But also..."

Hyunjin held his breath as he waited, and felt dismayed as Changbin trailed off. He wanted to know what the other had to say, desperately. "Also what?" 

"You were in pain," Changbin responded, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Hyunjin with a mixture of bewilderment and admiration. "You couldn't talk to save yourself, but you did manage to talk... to try and save me, to stop me from doing something dangerous. Am I right?" 

Frankly, Hyunjin couldn't really remember what he had said. His memories were still somewhat muddled and unreliable, but he knew that he had called out to Changbin regarding the number of robbers there had been, and that he had been unable to speak about himself or anything else in the moment. He hadn't thought much of it, but Changbin seemed to think that it meant a lot more. 

He nodded slowly, and a small smile flitted across Changbin's face. It was soft and warm, much like the one he had given Hyunjin just before buying him the assortment of gifts which still rested on the table just to his side. 

"And there you have it." Changbin reclined and rested his elbow on the back of the chair, retaining his relaxed posture. 

They settled into a silence that somehow felt quieter than anything Hyunjin had experienced before. He wondered if it was because Changbin was using his powers, but he could still blink and breathe and do everything he had been unable to back in the bank. The next thing he put it down to was that of his new earbuds, but he had still been able to pick up on little sounds before that. 

_Why is it so quiet?_

Hyunjin opened his mouth to break the silence in any way he could, as it was beginning to grow quite unnerving, but Changbin beat him to it. 

"So, Chan says you're going to stay with us for a bit?" His voice was as carefree as it had been before, and Hyunjin wasn't sure if he had been the only one to feel the momentary shift in atmosphere. It returned to a relaxed one at Changbin's question, however, so Hyunjin decided not to dwell on it. 

"Yeah... I think so. If that's alright?"

"It's more than alright!" Changbin's smile widened, and Hyunjin felt his own lips give a little twitch of happiness in return. "The only problem is we're out of free rooms... We have four, you see, and each one has two beds, so there's enough sleeping space for all of us. But with five people here, every room is occupied other than this medical one, and this isn't any place to sleep if you're sticking around..."

He trailed off thoughtfully as Hyunjin processed the information that he had just been given. It seemed the base was quite large, by what Changbin was telling him, if it contained four rooms with two beds in each. He wondered what else the place had to offer, but was torn from his thoughts when Changbin rose to his feet with the obvious purpose of leaving. The wave of disappointment that hit Hyunjin was a lot larger than it should have been, and he watched with sad eyes as Changbin picked up the now-empty plate from the table next to Hyunjin's bed.

"You can take my room. It's the biggest so you'll have more than enough space, and I'll move in with Chan." 

"Wh- I can't ask you to do that!"

"You're not asking me to do anything, I'm deciding to do it myself," Changbin quipped, giving Hyunjin an frustrating self-pleased smirk as he slung his jacket over his shoulder and began to walk towards the door. "Besides, you have all of that sensitive hearing, right? You should get a room of your own so you can get the best sleep you can. For now you can stay here, but in the morning I'll move my stuff and we can get you all sorted out. Sleep well!"

"But-"

"Goodnight, Jinnie!"

And the door was slammed shut in his face. It wasn't really - Changbin had been mindful to keep it quiet despite Hyunjin's new earbuds - but Hyunjin was left in such a state of shock it might as well have been. He struggled to process what had just happened; their conversation had suddenly leapt from discussions of the bank to Hyunjin's new room in the base, and he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. 

However, as Hyunjin finally began to lower himself back into the comfortable sheets, he found that he was astonishingly unbothered by the recent turn of events. His day had been undoubtedly the worst of his life, yet he felt as if he had just been gifted something absolutely priceless in his discovery of the odd group of five, or rather, their discovery of him. 

He lay on his back, and reveled in the fact he didn't have to take his ear-protection off to go to sleep anymore. His previous headphones would always be a little too clunky, and so he would be stuck waking up to the tiniest sounds from his surroundings, such as the screeching of car tyres on tarmac or the hooting of an owl nearby. 

But for the first night in his life, Hyunjin was able to sleep with absolute silence surrounding him. For the first time in his life, Hyunjin slept peacefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another Stray is here! :D 
> 
> Hyunjin's introduction has been something that I'd had planned from the very beginning actually... Like sometimes with a fic there are just some scenes which are so vivid in your head, and almost like the building blocks of its original planning stages, ya know? This chapter was one of them, so I really enjoyed writing it!
> 
> I hope that you enjoyed reading too, and as always, thank you so much for the positive feedback! It means the absolute world to me :3
> 
> And please feel free to contact me on Twitter @beanwillstay
> 
> <3


	6. {6}

Jisung was bored. 

He never would have expected it, given how the first week spent in the bunker had been so hectic and action-packed. It had felt as though every moment he would learn something new, whether it was about his own abilities, or the peoples' around him. At the end of each day he would go to sleep feeling like a different person, and for the better. Jisung had been more than excited - and of course quite nervous - to carry out their first mission, but having Jeongin's comforting presence beside him throughout the entire ordeal had quickly dealt with any of Jisung's anxious thoughts. 

However, upon finding Hyunjin and bringing him back to the base, everything had calmed down significantly. Jisung didn't blame the other for it at all; initially he had enjoyed the unfamiliar peacefulness which had settled over their base. He had been a little annoyed that Changbin had given up the nicest room to their latest addition - not because Jisung didn't think Hyunjin should have it, but because Changbin had been so adamant against letting Jisung stay there only to completely shift his view regarding the newcomer - but when Changbin came home one day with a shiny new acoustic guitar for Jisung, he decided to forgive the older. 

After showing Hyunjin around the base and letting him settle in, they had explained the accumulation of information they had gathered so far. Jisung had almost felt he wasn't supposed to be sitting in on the conversation at the time, as Chan and Changbin skillfully explained the work of JYP and his treatment of people with abilities, while Seungmin and Jeongin filled Hyunjin in on Clé, leaving Jisung to chip in awkwardly whenever Hyunjin looked slightly lost. He didn't miss how Hyunjin seemed to take comfort in his words more than the others' though, and put it down to the fact that he was clearly the only one who was as out of his depth in the whole thing as Hyunjin was. 

And so they had spent a few weeks simply lying low, with Jeongin keeping a careful eye on the messaging streams between the Clé groups. The one which had attacked the bank - Miroh - had reported significant losses, while the others decided to postpone any plans of raids or attacks until the air had cleared. That left the group in a state of limbo, which Jisung originally hadn't minded too much, but now was really beginning to get to his head. 

He had spent the days lounging around, chatting with his friends who didn't seem quite as on edge as he was, although Chan and Changbin had been making trips out of the bunker regularly. Jeongin and Seungmin appeared to be used to living a secluded life, and while Jisung hadn't talked to Hyunjin much, he sensed that the other was also content with the quieter life they had settled into. 

But Jisung was different. Jisung was _bored._

Seeming to pick up on his growing restlessness, Chan had made more of an effort to bring Jisung to the training area so they could work on his powers together. Much to both of their disappointment, however, the older had found himself at a bit of a loss as to the real mechanics of how Jisung's powers worked. They'd asked Changbin and even Seungmin for help at one point, but both were left just as clueless, the former repeating Chan's words that 'these abilities aren't like anything we've worked with before.' 

Not wanting to burden his friends with the task of figuring out his powers - which was something Jisung knew he should be able to do alone - he had tried to busy himself with other things. For example, keeping Jeongin company as the younger would continue browsing his link to Clé, or do whatever he did with his chip and the broader content of the technology in the base. Jisung didn't really understand it himself, but Jeongin was fun to be around and never left Jisung feeling down. 

Unfortunately, it did eventually raise the issue of Jisung worrying that he was being clingy. Everyone else always seemed to have something to be getting on with, whether it was Chan training Seungmin, Jeongin shutting himself away in the computer room, or Changbin venturing out into nearby towns to run shopping errands. 

And Hyunjin... Well. Jisung could still picture the look of pain on the other's face from the first night he spent in the bunker, the way he had hunched over and groaned as if Jisung had punched him in the stomach. He could tell Hyunjin was a little put-off by how Jisung would excuse himself from the room whenever the taller entered, but Jisung tried to swallow his guilt with the excuse that he had already hurt Hyunjin enough. Changbin had tried speaking to him about it, once, but had soon given up and muttered something about the two 'needing to talk it out.' 

So, stuck in the unsatisfying state of boredom and restlessness, Jisung would mope around his room and try to distract himself with things such as music, only to find his thoughts trailing back to his incapability with his powers. 

Currently he was sitting on his bed, his room empty other than its furniture around him. It was in the middle of the afternoon, and he hadn't seen the others much during the day other than for lunch, having slept through breakfast. His guitar was balanced in his grasp as he absently strummed at the strings, his gaze focused on the notebook which he had open in front of him. 

_Falling down, I'm an alien on this Earth_

_I don't seem to belong anywhere by myself_

His words were scrawled messily into the paper, surrounded by other lines of similar meaning. Jisung liked writing about things he was feeling, as putting the lyrics to music somehow made him make more sense of everything if he was lost or confused. It once had been therapeutic for him, but since moving into the bunker Jisung had felt nothing but discontent when dedicating his time to music. 

When he had been living at home with his parents, taking off his gloves and picking up his guitar would be the most exciting and adventurous thing he'd get up to. In the base, on the other hand, it felt like it was the opposite; music was suddenly so mundane compared to what Jisung had seen, and he now knew what people with abilities were capable of if they put their mind to it. Yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't harness his own powers in the way that the others could - even Hyunjin, their newest addition, knew so much more about his capabilities than Jisung did - and Jisung couldn't lie to say he wasn't envious. 

Jisung hadn't noticed as his playing grew louder, but when there was a hesitant knock at the door he realised that his fingertips, which had only just healed from the burns he had sustained from the fire, were beginning to throb. He cleared his throat and called out, telling the person on the other side that they could come in. His face was flushed slightly with embarrassment, as he still felt quite shy in terms of his music and didn't much like the idea of someone else hearing it, especially when he was playing as absentmindedly as he just had been. 

And when the door opened to reveal Hyunjin, Jisung felt ten times worse. 

"Oh... I'm so sorry, man," Jisung breathed, his eyes widening at the sight of the taller standing in his doorway. He had been far too loud, and Hyunjin must have heard him and come to complain about the noise. 

_Can't you do anything right, Han?_

"It's alright!" Hyunjin was quick to respond, his hand hovering on the door handle with hesitation. 

An awkward silence settled over the room as Jisung pushed his guitar to the side, leaving it to sit on his pillow dejectedly. Hyunjin didn't move, and through the light tinting of his glasses, Jisung could see the internal conflict that the other was experiencing. A wave of guilt passed through him, as he had seen Hyunjin interact with the other members of their group with ease and friendliness, while because of Jisung's own avoidance their own relationship was that of acquaintances at best. Jisung didn't dislike Hyunjin at all, of course, but he felt that whether Hyunjin agreed or not, he deserved to be disliked himself for all of the pain he had already caused by raising his voice too much. 

And now he had just disturbed Hyunjin by playing his guitar too loudly. Fantastic. 

"I'll be more quiet from now on... I promise," he said forlornly, dragging his gaze away from the doorway so that he didn't have to see Hyunjin's expression. Instead, he looked at the hand which Hyunjin didn't still have latched onto the door handle, and realised with shock that the other was holding the earbuds. If he was bothered by Jisung's loudness, why wasn't he wearing them-?

"That's not what I came in for, actually..." Hyunjin murmured, causing Jisung to glance back up at him. Even though his face was slightly concealed by his glasses, Hyunjin had chosen the pair with the least dark lenses for some reason, so Jisung could still make out the honestly in his gaze as he continued. "I wanted to tell you that you sounded really good. I didn't know you played the guitar." 

_You really don't know anything about me,_ Jisung thought bitterly, though none of his frustration was directed at Hyunjin, rather at himself. Other than the first night Hyunjin had spent with them, when Jisung had sat with Chan and talked with the confused and pained rescuee, the two hadn't held a proper conversation other than the communal ones shared with the group when they ate.

"You don't have to be that quiet around me, you know," Hyunjin spoke up softly, reminding Jisung that he was still standing awkwardly in the doorway. Jisung watched wordlessly as Hyunjin lifted his hand and placed his earbuds back into position, and loosened his grip on the door handle. 

"Oh, um..." 

Goddammit. Jisung had barely talked to another person around his age in his entire life, and given their circumstances he had never found it hard to be around Chan, Changbin, Seungmin or Jeongin. He wasn't sure what it was about Hyunjin that made him an exception - perhaps the fact that the taller hadn't grown up with his powers being just a factor to his life, and instead had been burdened by them much as Jisung had - but either way Jisung suddenly seemed to be socially inept whenever they were alone. 

"If... If you're not too busy, Jisung, can we talk?" Hyunjin asked cautiously into the weighted silence, and Jisung was fairly certain that he broke into a sweat.

It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to Hyunjin, but rather that he wasn't really sure how to. However, as he met the other's pleading gaze from behind those pigmented lenses, he felt all of his willpower vanish into a measly wisp of cowardice. He was tired of tiptoeing around Hyunjin, and it seemed the other was as well. 

"Yeah... Yeah, sure." Jisung glanced around his room, taking in the mess of it. He had thrown the clothes which Changbin had given him onto the other bed, and his floor was a mess of torn-up lyric sheets and blankets that Jisung hadn't gotten around to washing yet. He wasn't sure what he would do if he had to share a room with someone, and was relieved for their current sleeping arrangements. 

However, he could tell that the conversation with Hyunjin had the potential to last for a while, and so he didn't want to force the other to be exposed to the messiness of his room for too long. They could go to Hyunjin's room, or the communal area, but he was fairly sure that someone would have begun preparing dinner and so it would be lacking in the private aspect. To talk in the training area or gym felt wrong, though, and he guessed Jeongin would be holed up in the computer room as he usually was at that time. 

And then, Jisung had an idea. 

"Say... How would you feel about going for a walk outside the bunker? Just in the woods surrounding it, you know? It'll be quiet and we'll finally get some fresh air." The search parties for him had given up, Jisung had read around a week ago on the web while keeping Jeongin company, and he could remember how far the woods stretched from his first journey to the bunker with Chan and Changbin. He was sure that he could keep them carefully concealed from the rest of society, and hopefully the comfort of the outdoors would soothe him in prospect of spending time alone with Hyunjin. 

Hyunjin hesitated for a moment as if he was surprised by Jisung's offer, which wouldn't have surprised Jisung at all. But then he smiled, and Jisung felt some of his nervousness dissipate at the sight. 

"That would be great. My skin is looking a little too grey having not been out in the sun for so long. Although..." His lips downturned slightly, and he broke eye-contact to glance away sheepishly. "Is it alright if I get a different pair of shades? I'm not sure if these lenses are dark enough to go outside in." 

"Oh, of course!" Jisung hopped from the bed, feeling a newfound energy in his body at how comfortable Hyunjin seemed to be. Perhaps Jisung _might_ have jumped to conclusions about the other's distaste for him, as Changbin had tried to convince him. But Jisung still thought that his concerns hadn't simply been paranoia, as the image of Hyunjin's pained expression from that first night was still far too prominent in his mind. 

Hyunjin turned around to exit Jisung's room, waiting just outside with his hands clasped patiently behind his back as Jisung hurriedly threw a hoodie over his head, making sure to store his pen into its pocket. He knew that he didn't look nearly as well put together as Hyunjin did, with his messy hair and dark-rimmed eyes, while Hyunjin almost seemed to glow despite his skin comment just a moment before. If Jisung was lucky, he might be able to snag a beauty tip from the taller as they walked... 

After one final check, he stepped out into the corridor after Hyunjin. He closed his door behind him, then gestured for Hyunjin to lead the way forwards. Sending Jisung a quick smirk, Hyunjin moved in the direction of his own room, presumably where he kept the rest of his glasses. 

"Um... Hyunjin?" Jisung asked, throwing his hands into the pockets of his hoodie to try and appear as nonchalant as he could, despite the sudden clamminess of his palms. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, go ahead." 

Jisung pursed his lips, hoping that he didn't come across as rude. He hadn't realised until then just how upset his lack of friendship with Hyunjin was making him, and so he didn't want to throw it all away in one go. But on the other hand, his curiosity was starting to get the better of him, and had managed to overpower any of his hesitance as they arrived at the door leading to Hyunjin's room. 

"How come you're wearing those glasses? Wouldn't it be easier to wear ones with lenses dark enough that you didn't have to swap between pairs, or...?" 

Much to Jisung's relief, Hyunjin didn't seem upset by the question. He gave a small, slightly sad smile as he reached out to open the door, nodding for Jisung to go in first before entering himself. 

A moment passed before he answered, in which Jisung admired the room. It was the largest, which was what had originally resulted in Jisung wanting it for himself, but also seemed that little bit more homely than the other three in the bunker. Its walls were coloured a slightly lighter shade of grey, and the paint hadn't begun to peel as it had in Jisung's. It also had a higher ceiling, making it feel a little less suffocating, at least Jisung thought. 

"People used to say that I freaked them out because they couldn't really tell what I was thinking." Hyunjin's voice broke Jisung out of his thoughts, and he glanced over to where Hyunjin was standing over a large assortment of sunglasses in one of his drawers. He had kept every pair that Changbin had given him, Jisung realised with unexpected fondness. 

But the little grin which had adorned his face at the sight of the collection fell very quickly as Hyunjin elaborated on his words. 

"You know that one phrase? 'The eyes are the window to the soul,' it says. People would tell me that only seeing a pair of completely opaque, black lenses made me seem like a robot, or someone without feelings." He straightened with a new pair of glasses resting on the bridge of his nose, with the lighter, more fashionable ones returned amongst the others on the table. "I didn't want you guys to feel the same, I suppose. Those people back home never would have understood, but now that I know you all can... I wanted you to know what I was thinking, and know how I was feeling. That's what friends do, right?"

Despite how terrible it made Jisung feel, Hyunjin was right. It had become a lot harder to read the other now that his eyes were no longer visible, and instead concealed behind the intimidatingly dark lenses of his shades. The only sign of his unhappiness was the subtle pout of his lower lip, and Jisung's guilt only intensified. 

Hyunjin was so desperate to grow closer with the group, and he had succeeded with the other four. Jisung, on the other hand, had purposefully put distance between them because he worried over a small, self-indulgent thing which Hyunjin obviously didn't care about at all. 

And what made it all worse was that Jisung knew how Hyunjin felt. He knew the eagerness to befriend people with abilities similar to him, the almost physical need to bond and shake off the loneliness which had dominated them for their entire lives so far. 

Yet he had still pushed Hyunjin away.

Jisung wanted to apologise, but he guessed that Hyunjin wouldn't accept it, and tell him that there wasn't anything to be sorry for. Instead, he recalled how emotional and grateful Hyunjin had looked when Jeongin had made the subtle comment about spicy food, or when Chan had asked what could help with the burden of Hyunjin's powers without any condescendence. Maybe he could make it up to Hyunjin, in a different way... 

"What are you doing?" Hyunjin asked, his tone slightly quieter in confusion as Jisung moved to his side and stared down at the table. 

Some of the glasses were absolutely atrocious, and Jisung was tempted to roll his eyes at Changbin's lack of taste. Eventually he settled on a simple pair with tinted golden lenses, surrounded by a circular blue frame. He picked them up and happily slid them onto his face, glancing up to look at Hyunjin. 

The other's mouth was hanging open, and even though Jisung couldn't see his eyes he could tell that he had caught Hyunjin off-guard. 

"It might be pretty bright outside, and you seem to have more than enough sunglasses to spare. I thought I'd join you; we can be matching!" 

Because Jisung understood Hyunjin undeniably well, and perhaps that was why he had found it so hard to communicate to begin with; looking at Hyunjin made him think of himself in his loneliest moments. And yes, Hyunjin may be older than him by a few months, and yes, Jisung hadn't done a good job so far, but he was scared of screwing up his chance of bonding with someone in a way that he had always dreamed of. 

Jeongin had made him realise, weeks ago, that all of their powers were different and unique in their own ways. Jisung may have felt like an alien sometimes, but if he could at least make Hyunjin realise he wasn't completely alone, then maybe the feeling of isolation wasn't too bad. Being lonely meant that when you did finally find someone, you were able to appreciate the bond so much more. Jisung had seen that already in his other friends, and he suddenly felt determined to do the same for Hyunjin. 

"Oh... I- thank you." Hyunjin's lower lip wobbled, and for a moment Jisung was worried that the other would burst into tears. "No one's ever done that for me before."

To an onlooker, Hyunjin's words would have seemed odd, but Jisung knew what he really meant by it, and that his action meant a lot more than it appeared. 

_Really... Did none of his friends ever think of wearing glasses with him to make him stand out less? Assholes._

"I'm the one who should be thanking you, you're the one letting me borrow these!" He insisted, bringing a hand up to pat Hyunjin's shoulder cheerfully as Hyunjin sniffed. "Come on now, let's get out there before it gets dark and I'll start tripping up on myself. Not everyone has super sight like you!" 

To his delight, Hyunjin let out a weak laugh at his comment, and allowed Jisung to steer him in the direction of the door. Jisung had to move his hand to Hyunjin's back, as it was more easily accessible, and eventually lowered it when Hyunjin seemed to regain his composure. Although his eyes may have been watering for all Jisung knew, at least his mouth had returned into a neutral line and wasn't wobbling anymore. 

They walked in silence, making their way down the hallway of rooms. Jisung wondered who would begin the conversation once they got out, and what they would talk about. Either way, he had a hunch that it might be quite emotional, and was suddenly glad that he had put his own pair of sunglasses on for the sake of his own dignity. 

"-Coins?" 

A voice carried down from the end of the corridor, presumably from the communal area. Jisung perked up at the familiar rough tone of Changbin, and shot a quick look at Hyunjin to see whether the taller had heard it as well. He had - judging by the subtle cock of his head as they rounded the corner. 

Sure enough, the black-haired male was standing in the kitchen, leaning over a steaming pot of _something_ which he was working on. Seungmin stood just to his side, his face scrunched up in such disgust that Jisung couldn't help but smirk. 

"What are you guys doing?" He called over, being mindful to keep his voice relatively low on behalf of Hyunjin at his side. 

Both people in the kitchen turned at his voice, though within seconds Changbin was leaning back over the pot again, while Seungmin sat himself in one of the chairs and hid his head in his hands. 

"Oh, now that..." Hyunjin spoke, prompting Jisung to glance up, just in time to see the other wrinkle his nose in a way that matched Seungmin. "That smells disgusting."

Jisung furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, as he couldn't smell anything, but proceeded to lead the way to the lift. It didn't require someone as observative as Hyunjin to know that a disaster was unfolding in the kitchen, and he didn't want to get caught up in it. Hyunjin seemed to have the same idea, as he followed behind with a skip to his step. 

Neither Seungmin nor Changbin had responded to his question, but Jisung didn't really feel that he needed an answer anymore. It was obvious what they were doing: trying to cook, and completely failing at it. 

"What do you mean, coins?" Changbin mumbled, scowling down at the contents in the pot as Seungmin groaned from behind his palms. 

"I mean, it tastes like coins. What else do you want me to say?" 

"Yeah, but how can it taste like coins? I didn't put coins in-"

"Did you wash the pot properly?" Hyunjin prompted as he followed Jisung into the lift. Changbin looked up from the pot at that, though the frown had dissipated from his face to be replaced with slackened horror. 

However, that changed when his eyes landed on the pair in the lift. His sharp gaze zeroed in on Jisung's hand as he reached into his pocket and took out the pen - on which Jeongin had incorporated the code required to spur the lift into motion, and seemed to lose all interest in his cooking despite Seungmin's whined complaints from behind him. 

"Excuse me, where are you two off to?" 

Jisung straightened, feeling astonishingly like a child who had been caught in an act they weren't supposed to be doing. It was quite humiliating, and his only respite was that Hyunjin had stiffened beside him as well. Changbin folded his arms over his chest and shot them a meaningful stare, and for a moment Jisung was worried that he would shout for Chan, wherever the blond was. 

"We're going for a walk," Jisung explained eventually, keeping it as simple as he could. "Just around the forest. I'll make sure we always remain close to the bunker, and we'll be back for dinner, or... whatever it is you're making."

Changbin pointedly ignored his comment, and only blinked slowly in response to Jisung's words. _Please let us go,_ Jisung begged internally, trying to convey his desperation in his eyes, even though he realised belatedly that they were partially concealed by the sunglasses. _You were the one who kept pushing me to stop dodging around Hyunjin. Please let me do this._

Fortunately, his message seemed to get across, as Changbin let out a sigh and turned back to the pot. "Fine. Just don't be too long, and tell Chan that I was very against the two of you going out alone. And, if you get me in trouble with him, you're both on dishwashing duty for a week." 

"He just says that so he doesn't have to do it," Seungmin cut in, looking very pointedly at Changbin's turned back. "Because he clearly is incapable of cleaning pots properly-"

"Hey! Of course I'm gonna make a mistake, given I've been doing it by myself for a good _two weeks now_!"

Clearing his throat subtly to try and drown out the bickering which was commencing, Jisung leaned forwards and held the tip of his pen against the flickering light on the wall in front of him. Hyunjin let out a little gasp of wonder beside him, and he realised that it would be the first time Hyunjin had actually been in the lift, and seen the top-layer of their base. He had been unconscious when they'd brought him in, after all, and hadn't ventured past the communal room since. 

"Pretty cool, huh?" He said, glancing over his shoulder to wink at Hyunjin. The other grinned and shrugged, though Jisung knew that he was feeling just as exhilarated as Jisung had when he first entered the base with Chan and Changbin. 

The lift grinded to a halt - causing Hyunjin to flinch at the sudden stop - and Jisung stepped forwards to swing the door open. He led the way into the cover-face of their bunker, with its plain walls and grimy floor, and grimaced on impulse. It wasn't any uglier than he remembered, and Hyunjin seemed to share the feeling as he let out a small 'ew' from behind him. 

"This isn't quite as cool," Jisung muttered, sidestepping around a stray, dusty blanket which rested on the floor. "I know it isn't pretty, but I guess it's necessarily to make people think that this is all there is to the place. Channie and Bin were mean enough to make me believe this was where we'd be staying when we first came here. I was fully prepared to abandon them then and there." 

His words were joking, and fortunately received the reaction he was desiring, as Hyunjin laughed softly as he followed Jisung towards the exit. He had a nice laugh, Jisung realised. It was a light-hearted one, and seemed to come right from his chest. 

"So it's like... Like one of those deception spells from Harry Potter?" 

Jisung gasped dramatically and gave Hyunjin a wide-eyed stare of wonder as they reached the door. He pushed and held it open for Hyunjin, who stepped out into the sunlight with a smile of contentment. 

"Yes. Yes, exactly like one of those," Jisung gushed, letting the door slide shut behind him. "Dude, you get me. Can you believe Channie didn't know what it was? I literally compared this place to a deception spell, and he had no clue."

"Oh, really?" Hyunjin said in mock bewilderment, though he was clearly more focused on the freshness of the air outside, and the golden sunlight which streamed through overhead leaves to bathe them. 

Jisung took in a long breath, savouring the breeze which played with his hair and the sudden liveliness of the forestry around him. The sounds were delicate, and he couldn't pick up on them nearly as well as Hyunjin must have been able to, but he still relished the subtlety of the whispering of the branches and the crunch of twigs beneath their feet as they began to walk. 

"I missed the smell of the countryside..." Hyunjin breathed, leaning his head back to gaze up at the full tops of trees. "Not to be rude to you guys or anything, but..."

"We kind of stink?"

"Yeah."

Jisung gave a short laugh, though he didn't feel too offended. He had been thinking about Hyunjin's powers quite a bit, as well as the implications that came along with them. He'd seen firsthand the effect of Hyunjin's sight and hearing when they were too exposed, but had also found his thoughts lingering on the other senses, such as touch and smell. After a while of internal debating, he had concluded that being able to smell cheesecake a little better wasn't worth all of the other things which came along with it, and he did feel slightly sorry for Hyunjin. He had grown jittery enough being kept underground himself, and so with heightened senses he could only imagine how suffocating it must have been. 

"So, um..." He began to lead the way, seeing has he was the only one who roughly knew the layout of the forest, and how far out they could go without the risk of being seen. "What did you want to talk about?"

Hyunjin hesitated, his mouth opening for a split-second before he closed it again. "This is going to sound weird... My head is all over the place, I guess, but I forgot I even wanted to talk to you about something specifically. I remember now, but..." 

Jisung could tell that Hyunjin was struggling a bit, even though he couldn't decipher the other's expression too well from behind his dark glasses. He could feel the weight of a gaze being shifted to him as they walked though, and eventually looked up to give Hyunjin an encouraging smile, hoping that his oncoming nervousness wasn't too obvious. 

"I mean, I'm beginning to think that I was just overreacting, and there was nothing wrong in the first place..." Hyunjin trailed off for a moment, pouting a little as he fumbled around the words. "But I just felt like, um... You were avoiding me? Or that you didn't like me? And now I see that wasn't the case, because you're hanging out with me and you're being nice, so... sorry for dragging you out here for nothing. I've been having a good time, though."

Jisung felt like slapping himself, and he might have, if he wasn't worried about the sound disturbing Hyunjin while he appeared so calm in the natural atmosphere. Instead, he groaned and massaged his temple, trying to rub the stupidity from his mind. 

"Um... Was I being stupid?" Hyunjin asked nervously, seeming to assume that Jisung's frustration was directed at him, when really it was the complete opposite. 

"No, no, sorry you weren't... Not at all," Jisung grimaced, pushing the glasses further up his nose in agitation. "It was all my fault... I was the one being stupid- I..."

Jisung had already talked to Jeongin and Chan about his insecurities, but had refrained from revealing them in front of Changbin and Seungmin for the fear of being a burden. He didn't want everyone to know of his struggles when they all looked to be so confident and put together, and Hyunjin had seemed to view him with a trust which Jisung didn't want to destroy. However, it was now undeniable that Hyunjin deserved an explanation, and Jisung wouldn't even consider lying. 

It was a little scary to have such a heart-to-heart with someone whose eyes he couldn't see, but Jisung swallowed down the cautiousness and reminded himself that Hyunjin already hated having to wear the glasses enough. 

"I put you in a lot of pain when we first met," he said eventually, glancing down at his feet as he stepped over straying tree roots. "Chan put me in charge of keeping an eye on you while you rested, and I felt pretty honoured to have the job... I hadn't really done much for the group up until then, you see.

"But..." Jisung's lips twisted into a humourless grin. "Then I ended up hurting you because I was careless. And I'm still really sorry about that, by the way, it just slipped my mind... I'm not used to living with people like us, like the others are. I can't just adapt the way I act to be more mindful of your sensitivity like Channie could, and so I thought it would just be better for me not to be around you at all, if all I was going to do was hurt you." 

Hyunjin remained silent next to him as they walked, although Jisung could sense a searching gaze fixated on him from behind a pair of dark lenses. He almost felt relieved that he was unable to tell what Hyunjin was thinking, because after a revelation like that he couldn't help but worry about how he would be received. 

After a few seconds of quiet, broken only by the snapping of twigs beneath their feet, Hyunjin spoke. 

"You tried to make it better afterwards, though," he said, moving closer to Jisung to avoid some brambles which reached out into their pathway. "And you felt guilty about it. I hope that you believe me when I say that it isn't anything to worry about... And that I've received far worse from others, who have done it on purpose." 

"What do you mean?" Jisung asked, feeling the sweetness of relief in his heart that Hyunjin still didn't seem upset, and had indirectly accepted the apology which Jisung had tried to weave between his words. 

Hyunjin hummed lightly, though there was suddenly scorn evident in his voice. "When I was growing up, people at my school- well. I was unusual, to say the least, and kids that age like to make fun of things which they don't understand or see as normal. They'd steal my headphones and scream at me to see me flinch, or take my glasses and shine their phone lights into my eyes just to make me cry. They found it amusing, I think, to see how 'weak' I was." 

Any of Jisung's remaining guilt was washed away by Hyunjin's story, and instead replaced by a burning anger. He could picture the happenings vividly, having seen Hyunjin's pained reactions to brightness and noise, and found it almost impossible to imagine how someone could be cruel enough to want to inflict that onto another human being. 

Hyunjin was a person, too. He deserved to be treated as such. 

"I couldn't really blame them, though. You're immature when you're young, and they were bored. I was just something for them to entertain themselves with, " Hyunjin continued, grimacing to convey his distaste. "But it didn't get any better as I grew older and they matured. Instead I was treated like an alien, people would try to get close to me as if I was some sort of charity project, and then get bored when they realised how carefully I had to be treated and would distance themselves again. I'd be hurt either way, and I wasn't sure which one I hated more." 

Jisung was beginning to see why his simple gesture of wearing sunglasses to match Hyunjin had meant so much to the other. It had barely been any effort on his part, showcasing how easy it was to make Hyunjin feel less abnormal, yet... While he despised to admit it, he could also understand how the people from Hyunjin's past must have felt. He had been unsure of how to act around the taller for the past weeks as well, so he could barely put himself above them. 

"Throughout my life, my parents kept me isolated," he said as they lapsed into a silence again, deciding to trade Hyunjin's story with that of his own. "I'd always kind of resented it, because I'd watch movies and shows where kids my age would have such amazing friendships, and I'd always want that for myself. I wished they'd let me go to school and see other people, but after hearing that from you... I'm beginning to wonder if they were really doing the best thing for me." 

Jisung shot a quick glance in Hyunjin's direction as he finished, just in time to see the other purse his lips as if in thought. He didn't look as remorseful as he had previously, but there was still a sadness in the way he dragged his steps. Jisung didn't feel much better, given the route their conversation had taken. 

"My parents were the opposite. They wanted me to live the most normal life I could, but obviously that didn't work out for me." Hyunjin chuckled, though there was so much bitterness in his laugh that Jisung felt a chill. "They acted like we were a normal family... Until one day I came home with my ears bleeding and my headphones snapped by the kids in my class, and my mum just... broke. She kept saying she'd failed me, and any hope of a peaceful family relationship went out of the window after that." 

It was almost painful, hearing about a childhood which was so different to Jisung's, yet somehow he could relate to it as if it was his own. He didn't know much about Seungmin's upbringing, but Jeongin hadn't seemed to care much about his relationship with his parents, and from what Jisung had gathered Chan and Changbin hadn't lived with their families for long enough to have established much of an opinion with them. 

Hyunjin's pain was raw, however, much as Jisung's was. While Hyunjin had been pushed to his limits by his parents, Jisung had been restrained by his. He could remember Jeongin's words too, that his parents had treated him almost like an object that needed high maintenance, and would give him whatever they wished if it meant he wouldn't disturb them too much. The difference was that the younger hadn't seemed to care as much as Jisung and Hyunjin did, but he had been treated in a similar way all the same. 

"People like us... We're alone, aren't we? No one can really understand." Jisung was surprised and saddened by how steady his voice was as he spoke. His tone was as refrained as his thoughts were, and he felt the settling sense of defeat making itself at home in his chest. 

Hyunjin nodded at his side, and Jisung began to steer them back in the direction of the bunker, as he sensed that what needed to be said had been, despite how dejected it made him feel. 

"These powers are a curse," Hyunjin muttered, his tone equally as even as Jisung's had been. 

However, Jisung wasn't sure he agreed with the other's words quite as much. Being alone felt like a fact to him, proven time and time again as he heard more about his friends' pasts and the way they were treated upon the discovery of their powers. Yet to call them a curse...? 

"They're a burden, maybe," Jisung said slowly, the sudden hesitance in his voice piquing Hyunjin's interest. "But I'm not too sure about a curse. Do you know how I met Chan and Binnie?" 

Hyunjin shrugged and shook his head. Jisung wasn't surprised; it had long since become clear that privacy was something greatly valued by all members of their group, and that no one's past would be talked about if they weren't present and weren't comfortable with it. He was the only one Hyunjin could have heard from, and given he'd made sure not to speak much around the taller up until that afternoon, Hyunjin's lack of knowledge was to be expected. 

"Long story short, I accidentally burned my house down by short-circuiting a microwave. Don't ask me how I managed it, because I still don't understand myself-" He added when Hyunjin opened his mouth, his confusion evident even though his eyes were still indecipherable. Jisung was getting quite tired of recounting that eventful night, and so quickly carried on to the moral of his story. "I was trapped in my room, and there wasn't any way to get down other than to jump. So I did, and Bin used his powers to keep me from hurting myself... Then Channie put out the fire." 

Whenever his thoughts returned to the roaring flames, the suffocating heat which had surrounded him and the agony of his burnt fingers, Jisung tried to concentrate on the thought of his friends who had appeared to save him. He didn't want to remember his fear or the pain, and so focused on the only positive thing, the only source of hope which had emerged from his near-death experience. 

"If they hadn't been there, and if they didn't have their powers, I think I would be dead," he finished, feeling strangely at peace with that conclusion.

"But if you didn't have your powers in the first place, the fire never would have started." Hyunjin's voice wasn't harsh, but his words were hard in their truthfulness. Jisung couldn't help but flinch as he realised that the other was right, and that without his abilities there would have been no need to be saved in the first place. 

Yet... 

"Take Seungmin and Innie, then," he continued insistently to try and fight the hesitance which had built in him. "They used their powers for good things by taking down bad people. Even if they might not have _asked_ to have powers, they're using them for the benefit of others. That isn't a curse, is it? A burden, maybe, but not a curse." 

"Do you like your powers?" Hyunjin asked as the greying frame of the bunker came back into view. His question came out of nowhere, but Jisung didn't find it unexpected - he had been talking about his abilities in a way that was more positive than he had ever thought about them, and part of him was asking the exact same thing to himself.

Jisung brought a hand into the pocket of his hoodie to take out his pen so that he could let them back inside, thinking over his answer as he did so. Undeniably he had grown up hating them for how they had indirectly caused his loneliness, but more than anything he had feared them. He had been afraid of exactly what had occurred: harming himself and his surroundings by losing control. 

However, since meeting the others, his opinions on them had changed immensely. Whenever he thought about his powers now, he was filled with a teeth-grinding frustration that he couldn't get them to cooperate as he wanted, or manipulate them with as much skill as Chan and Seungmin could. He felt envious that Changbin and Jeongin were so comfortable using them, and also felt sympathy that Hyunjin could be so easily harmed by them physically. 

So, did he like them? 

"I don't like some things about them," he confessed eventually, pushing open the door and taking the first step into the bunker. "Like how dangerous they can be if I lose control, and how... weird they are. I still don't know the exact details of them, and even Chan wasn't sure what my limits could be, or how I can train with them best. I hate that." 

Once Hyunjin had got inside, he let the door slide shut, locking out the sunlight once again. Not wasting any time to miss the feeling of its warmth on his skin, he turned on his heels and made his way back to the lift. 

"If I could control them better, then maybe I _would_ like them. But I feel more open to the idea of using them than I did before I met these guys." He stepped into the lift, Hyunjin following silently. Jisung could tell that his words were being listened to intently, and it made him feel quite proud of himself. It had taken him a while, but gradually he was growing more accustomed to the idea of building his knowledge of his powers in his own time, hopefully with the help of the others if they could. "And besides, your powers have potential too! Being able to hear people could be really useful on our missions especially." 

Hyunjin tapped his foot thoughtfully as Jisung spurred the lift into motion. The bitterness had vanished from his face, and Jisung could tell that his mood had been lifted. At the very least, Jisung was glad that they had managed to put the little stumble in their friendship (which had been entirely Jisung's fault) behind them. 

"I suppose you're right..." Hyunjin said slowly as the wall began to gave way in front of them. "Perhaps I can ask one of the others for some advice... I can't get rid of my sensitivity, so if I can use it to help you guys then-" 

He cut himself off, and Jisung glanced away from the taller in order to see what had startled him. 

The communal area was completely empty. That was odd in itself, as usually at least one person from their group would be lounging around on a couch or making himself a snack in the kitchen. Yet it was even more unnerving given Jisung had been expecting to see Changbin and Seungmin still cooking, or at least, working on something a little simpler than whatever they had been attempting before. 

But they were nowhere to be found, and Jisung could feel his pulse already beginning to quicken as he tried to keep himself from panicking. 

"Where is everyone?" He whispered, pocketing his pen and stepping out of the lift with Hyunjin at his side. 

In response to his question, Hyunjin lifted his hands up to his head and took out the earbuds. Jisung immediately figured out what he was doing, and held his breath to be as quiet as he possibly could. Hyunjin's eyes fluttered closed as he listened, brow twitching slightly in concentration, before he turned to Jisung and blinked frantically, replacing his earbuds. 

"They're all in the computer room. I think Innie's got something." 

A fraction of a second passed in which the two simply stared at each other, before they both raced in the direction of the hallways. Jisung had thought it was odd to not have seen Chan in the kitchen while people were cooking - he usually monitored just in case someone burnt something and he had to step in - and was starting to wonder whether the blond had been with Jeongin instead. It wasn't rare for Jeongin to be cooped up with the computers, but it would make sense for Chan to be with him if they felt as though they'd found a lead. 

Hyunjin managed to pull ahead slightly due to his longer legs, and threw open the door which led into the computer room. He disappeared into it, and Jisung almost tumbled past in his haste, just about managing to bring himself to a skidding halt in time to nip in before the door swung closed. 

It was fairly dark inside, with only one row of the ceiling lights switched on. Hyunjin tugged at Jisung's sleeve and pointed in the direction of one of the computers before leading the way over, with Jisung trailing just behind. 

Jeongin was sitting in the centered chair in front of the machine, with Chan and Seungmin leaning down on either side of him, and Changbin hovering next to the blond. They all seemed entirely taken by whatever was being shown on the screen, and Jisung picked up his pace so that he could make sense of it sooner. 

"What happened?" Hyunjin questioned as they approached, maneuvering himself to Seungmin's side. Jisung tried to peak over the top of Jeongin's head, but couldn't make much of what was being shown. 

"Innie's got news of another attack," Chan replied, barely glancing up to greet the newcomers before returning his gaze to their youngest. Jeongin's fingers were flying over the keyboard, and Jisung couldn't quite put together his movements with the characters that were appearing on the projector. "They're finally coming out of hiding." 

Jisung swallowed and nodded. This was the news that they'd been waiting for as they'd been lying low, and while the prospect of leaving the base excited him, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of nervousness. 

"Which division?" He asked, exchanging a quick look of anticipation with Hyunjin.

"The Eastern one - Yellow Wood," Jeongin was the person to respond, his fingers finally coming to a standstill as the screen seemed to organise itself into an image. 

It was a digital poster, with a low-quality photo of a large clearing in a forest which seemed to be taken from the higher ground of an adjacent hill. Although it had been captured at night, Jisung could make out the shapes of food stalls, tents, and most importantly a stage. _'The Musical Turnup'_ was written at the top of the page in a bold font, and Jisung felt his mouth go dry as he processed the words. 

"Is everything alright, Jisung?" Hyunjin asked quietly, seeming to have picked up on Jisung's stuttering breath. All eyes turned to him, yet Jisung couldn't tear his gaze from the screen as he felt a numbing sense of dread build in his chest. 

"That's uh... That's 'The Musical Turnup,' also known as TMT... It um..." Jisung's voice wavered, and he felt Chan reach out to take his hand as he struggled to form the words. "It's an annual music festival for upcoming artists. I used to watch it every year; I always had this dream that one day I might be playing there, and..." 

_And now it's a target._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a shorter, more laid-back chapter after the intensity of the last one! I think everyone deserved a little time to recuperate and recover from the stressful days they've had, wouldn't you...? 
> 
> I'm a little down about this chapter, simply because I have an unhealthy obsession with getting a word count over 10k, but a bit more of a downbeat chapter is important from time to time. Following a brief time-skip, this was sort of a filler in terms of plot, other than the little segment at the end, but it was important for Sungie's character, as well as his friendship with Hyunjin! I hope that it was alright, and is continuing to set things up for what is to come...! 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and for the comments and the kudos. They mean the world to me, and strengthen my motivation to keep writing this story! :D
> 
> And please feel free to contact me on Twitter @beanwillstay
> 
> <3


	7. {7}

"Strike with your whole body," Chan instructed, bending down to offer a hand to Seungmin, who tried to contain his embarrassment in the face of being knocked down a third time. 

Seungmin wasn't used to feeling so utterly overpowered in a fight. He'd always had the upper hand in every moment of combat of his life thus far, due to his sharp control of his abilities and the ignorance of his enemies. Perhaps it had led him to become a little too confident in his skill, so to have someone even more experienced, such as Chan, show him what a truly seasoned fighter looked like was both inspiring and humbling. 

Gritting his teeth, Seungmin reached up to take the older's hand and let himself be pulled to his feet. When Chan had first approached him a few days ago, roughly a week after their findings of Yellow Wood's latest attack plan, he had been hesitant to take the blond up on the offer of power-less fight training. Although he didn't want to admit it, the thought of fighting without the soothing feel of control his abilities gave him was daunting, but Chan had eventually convinced Seungmin by saying that they couldn't always guarantee they would be in an environment to use their powers. There had been something in Chan's eyes as he told Seungmin the skill of simple, hand-to-hand combat had saved his life before, and Seungmin was unable to decline his offer. 

So they had switched the focus of their training, which had previously targeted Seungmin's reaction time, and began to concentrate on fighting without the use of their powers. And Seungmin was humiliatingly outmatched.

While Chan obviously wasn't intending it, there was an almost condescending way in which he not only outfought Seungmin every time, but also did it in a way that left Seungmin skillfully uninjured. He would be knocked off his feet just for Chan to catch him before his head made contact with the ground, or if he did happen to fall, Chan somehow always ensured that he would land in a painless position. Seungmin couldn't process how someone could have so much control over not only their own body, but that of someone else's too. 

"I think it's because of your powers," Chan said thoughtfully, breaking Seungmin from his thoughts. The older had placed one hand on his hip and was barely looking out of breath, compared to Seungmin who couldn't soothe his panting no matter how hard he tried. Chan's eyes roamed over Seungmin's body as he continued, "You only had to use your eyes to fight before, so to have to use your whole body is a bit different, I'm guessing?"

Seungmin only nodded in response, gulping to try and dissipate his thirst. 

"Yeah, so you need to imagine when you're striking me, you're actually trying to hit something _behind me_ ," Chan barely waited a second for Seungmin's confirmation, and was shifting himself into a fighting stance just a moment later. Seungmin could only envy him for his stamina. "Because at the moment, when you strike you stop as soon as you make contact with me, which doesn't leave much of an effect. If you relax and move your body more, you'll have more strength when you punch." 

Something Seungmin had learnt about Chan was that, even if he was the most caring individual in the entire world and had a sense of mischief that contrasted his external maturity, all of his soft friendliness vanished as soon as he entered the training room. He would become an entirely different person, which Seungmin had initially been a little intimidated by, but eventually found just as admirable as the big-brother figure Chan took up outside of their training environment. His eyes would sharpen in focus, and the carefree smile which always played at his lips would vanish into a frown of concentration. He watched Seungmin like a professor would study an anomaly, and his voice would be hard and serious when he gave feedback. 

Yet for every piece of criticism Chan gave, there would always be at least three compliments to go along with it. His introspective words remained in Seungmin's mind for hours after their session would finish, and engrained themselves into Seungmin's memory better than anything ever had. He was inspiring, experienced, and most importantly pushed Seungmin to his limits, but was consistently there to support him once the intensity was over. If he was the kind and encouraging source of support outside of the training room, he was also the relentless teacher who didn't let Seungmin underachieve when they were inside.

Seungmin couldn't even begin to comprehend how he would be if Chan's coaching had been there for him in his earlier days. 

"Strike with my body..." He breathed, repeating Chan's words from earlier and storing them inside of his mind. "Aim as if hitting something behind for more strength. Got it." 

Chan's eyes bored into Seungmin's with piercing intensity, as if he was assessing Seungmin's uptake from their session simply by observing him. A second passed, in which Seungmin returned the older's stare with an equally defiant one of his own, before Chan nodded once and glanced at the watch on his wrist. 

"We'll have to head off soon... Wanna call it a day and have a drink?" 

And with that, the studious, trainer Chan vanished to be replaced with the caring, big-brother Chan. He led the way to where they had kept a couple of water bottles for when they finished sparring, and sat down against the wall with a contented sigh. Seungmin made his way over a little more slowly, trying to drag the stiffness out of his limbs in preparation for what they would be doing later. 

He couldn't quite explain why - perhaps it was his paranoia which Jeongin had tried time and time again to comfort - but he had a bad feeling about their oncoming mission. Perhaps it was the fact it was probably the largest event he ever would have attended, with so many more people the stakes were higher, and there was undeniably more room for things to go wrong. Jeongin had tried to tell him that it was the opposite, and that it meant the chance of mistakes and error were lower since they had a larger team, but Seungmin was nervous nonetheless.

For the first time, he had been the one to reach out to Chan and ask for a final sparring session before they departed to the music festival. Chan had been more than happy to comply, and had left Changbin and Jeongin to finish their preparations as the two departed to the training room instead. Seungmin had just been a little too twitchy, and he needed to try and burn off his stress somehow. Fortunately Chan had seemed to understand that. 

"What are you so nervous about?" Chan asked as Seungmin slid down into a sitting position beside him. He handed over a water bottle, which Seungmin took with a small smile of gratitude. 

"I'm not nervous," Seungmin answered after taking a long, thirsty sip. The water was refreshingly cool despite being left out in the stuffy atmosphere, and Seungmin realised that Chan must have chilled it with his powers. 

The blond tutted and shook his head, screwing the cap onto his own bottle rolling it onto the floor. He shifted so that his body was facing Seungmin properly, and looked at the younger with a knowing, almost teasing grin that showcased his dimples. "Come on, now. You've never been the one to ask me about training before, and besides, your head didn't quite seem to be in it today. Tell me what you're thinking about." 

Seungmin wasn't quite sure how Chan was so good at telling what others were thinking. It had unnerved him at first, as he didn't like thinking that his emotions were so easy to read, but eventually he had grown quite thankful for it because it meant he didn't have to worry about confessing that something was wrong. Chan just knew that, and spared him the embarrassment of having to initiate anything. 

"Something feels off about this whole thing..." He said eventually, staring intently at the bottle in his hands so that he didn't have to meet Chan's eyes. "From what Jisung's said, the festival is a big deal. Clé have never been this adventurous before - I thought that the bank was out of character for them - but this is just... I don't know. What could they possibly want to get by robbing a _musical festival_?"

His expression twisted into a frown, feeling his confusion grow even as he attempted to make sense of the worries Jeongin had tried to rid him of. The younger had been the first person Seungmin had gone to with his concerns, seeing as Jeongin still remained the one Seungmin felt inclined to trust above anyone else, and also had matching knowledge and experience with Clé as a group. However, when Jeongin hadn't thought much of it, Seungmin resigned the thoughts to being a result of his paranoia. But then again, Jeongin was a little younger, and lacked the cynical view which Seungmin had found he shared with Chan and Changbin. 

And Chan always had this comforting air about him. Perhaps he would be able to soothe Seungmin, if not anything else. 

The blond had sat in silence for a moment, as if mulling over Seungmin's words, before he spoke in his usual calming tone. 

"I can see why you'd be nervous... But it is common for groups to adapt their attack patterns and targets as they evolve, if they feel more confident." His words were carefully said, and Seungmin could tell that he had thought about them a great deal before letting them reach Seungmin's ears. "We don't know what their motive is for this, but Sungie's told us that a lot of the people attending the festival are pretty well-off. The gang's probably trying to take advantage of the distraction which would be the live performance, and are going to try and steal all they can in that time. There won't be much security, and everyone's guards are gonna be let down. It's a pretty good opportunity for robbery, if you ask me, and not as predictable as one on a bank would be." 

Chan's reasoning made a lot of sense, and Seungmin found nothing in what the older had said that he could point a flaw in. Yet somehow, despite the logic which had just been laid out in front of him, he couldn't get rid of the worming dread which had settled in his heart. 

"Maybe I'm nervous because it's my first time doing something like this," he confessed eventually, causing Chan to pause mid-drink. "This thing is completely outside, so Innie won't have access to security cameras or anything like that. His hold on the area will be a lot weaker, so maybe that's why I have a bad feeling about this." 

Chan nodded as he swallowed, and Seungmin couldn't help but feel touched by how earnestly the older was listening. He didn't have to hear out all of Seungmin's worries, yet he did, and even added his own undeniably solid opinions as a source of comfort. 

"I did kind of have a hunch about that," Chan said, a hint of amusement lightening his tone. Seungmin glanced up to find Chan looking down at him with both warmth and fondness, the sheer sweetness in his gaze causing Seungmin to glance away a moment later due to his own embarrassment. "There is a reason I left you as Hyunjin's guard for this mission, and planned for Binnie to get into the fray in your place. Aside from it being outside, so we can easily clear space for him to use his powers, I thought you and Hyunjin could help quell each others' nerves a little." 

That was another thing Seungmin had noticed about Chan: he didn't hesitate to push the members of his group when they were in the safety of his care, but as soon as it was possible for an external force to harm them, he would do everything in his power to keep them safe. 

He had ben wondering why, having found a basic plan on the first full day they spent together as five, Chan had decided to keep Seungmin further away from the action for the coming confrontation. It didn't upset him as much as he thought it would, and he didn't mind the idea of keeping an eye on Hyunjin as he used his powers for the initial scouting stage. But with the older's words, it all finally made sense, and he felt a true thankfulness towards his friend. 

Somehow, Chan had known exactly what Seungmin had needed, without Seungmin knowing it himself. 

"But..." Chan's voice brought Seungmin out of his thoughts, and he blinked up at the blond who continued to look at him with a mixture of fondness and care. "That isn't all that's worrying you, is it?" 

Seungmin glanced away and fiddled with the cap of the water bottle. There was something else, something which had unwelcomely been occupying his mind for quite a while. He'd tried to push it away and tell himself that there was nothing to worry about, and the others had proven time and time again that they could be trusted, but it didn't cease to keep him up at night. He hadn't even told Jeongin, out of concern that his pessimism would dampen the mood of the younger, who had been happier than Seungmin had ever seen him in the past weeks. 

Yet Chan's eyes were just so patient and so understanding. Seungmin knew that there was a large chance that everything he'd thought about had crossed the older's mind multiple times already, given know mature and knowledgeable he was, and so found his willpower to keep his worries growing weaker and weaker. 

Eventually, he gave in to the temptation, and spoke the fear which had been dominating his mind for weeks. 

"I just think that it's weird we're all here, and that we found each other, don't you? I mean, you and Bin have known each other for ages, and since Innie and I had made it to JYP's attention I guess it makes sense that our paths would have crossed." Seungmin swallowed, feeling guilt claw at his throat as he continued, "But for Jisung and Hyunjin... Doesn't it seem a little suspicious to you? I would've thought people with abilities like us would be near impossible to find, yet in the space of a month we've stumbled upon two others purely on accident. 

"And I'm not suggesting they're up to something, or that we can't trust them," he added hurriedly as Chan's smile slipped away to be replaced with a subtle frown of concern. "Just that... It doesn't really make sense? And the more I've been thinking about it, the more it's been freaking me out."

He trailed off, bowing his head in defeat. He hated the fact that he was still so suspicious of everything, and that people has harmless as Hyunjin and Jisung were making him so nervous. It wasn't them, per se, but more what their appearances could have meant. He just couldn't stop the way his thoughts would run away from him, spiraling to conclusions that he tried time and time again to convince himself couldn’t be true. 

"I've been thinking about that too..." Chan spoke, and Seungmin lifted his head in hopefulness. There was no disappointment in Chan's voice, and while he looked a lot more tired than he had previously, he hadn't dismissed Seungmin's words as had been expected. "When Bin and I came across Sungie, literally hours after we left JYP's headquarters, I couldn't believe our luck. We'd always hoped that we might find more people with abilities to take under our wing, like you and Innie, but to find someone so soon? I was thrilled.

"When Hyunjin showed up, though, I'll admit that I got a little nervous. JYP had always told us that we were rare anomalies who wouldn't fit into society. But it just seemed to be so easy to find people like us, and I was almost tempted to make contact with JYP just to ask him what the hell was going on." 

Seungmin gulped at that. Neither Chan nor Changbin had spoken much about the man who had taken care of them for years, leading Seungmin to believe that the relationship was hardly a pleasant one they wanted to relive. Chan's face showed the same bitterness which it did every time he talked about their pasts, and it was an jarring expression to see in place of his usual cheerful one. 

"But I dismissed that quickly, because I knew that if I did, not only would Bin and I have to go back there but we'd have to bring all of you guys with us." Chan shuddered visibly at the thought, and Seungmin suddenly was very keen to reach out and hold the older. He kept his hands to his side, however, and averted his eyes to the ground, cursing what he viewed as his own cowardice. "I swear that I'm never going to make any of you guys go through a training like that man gives, and I know Bin agrees. Never." 

Seungmin wasn't really sure what to say. Chan hadn't comforted him, but his obvious determination to look after the group himself made Seungmin feel secure despite his lingering worries. 

The blond shook his head as if trying to clear away his thoughts, and lifted his lips into a familiar soothing smile as he angled his face towards Seungmin. 

"I say that for now, we just feel grateful that we found each other. Maybe it was fate bringing us together, and we can leave it at that." His dark eyes were warm as they surveyed Seungmin, who felt the coldness of his anxiety beginning to melt away at the sight. "If something else happens, we'll tackle it when we get there, but we shouldn't worry about the future when all we can control is the present." 

Seungmin finally found himself able to hold eye-contact with Chan without fretting about revealing all of his vulnerability, given he had just confessed almost all of what had been eating away at him recently. There were still other things, such as the unnamable emotion he felt whenever he was alone with Jeongin, but he didn't want to burden Chan with that. How he felt for Jeongin was something for him to figure out himself, although he had been making frustratingly slow progress so far. 

_Don't think about that now, Kim Seungmin,_ he scolded himself internally, pouting in frustration and leaning back to knock his head against the wall behind him. There were other things to handle for the moment, and Seungmin didn't want to lose himself over something he felt so clueless about when the group would be heading towards a raid which might well turn out to be the biggest Seungmin had ever witnessed before. 

"You're so good at listening, Channie," he murmured, letting out a long sigh. "And at talking. And comforting. And everything, really, you're good at everything. You'd make a really cool big brother." 

Chan laughed heartily, his eyes disappearing into crescents and cheeks breaking out into dimples. Seungmin grinned softly, raising his bottle to finish the last of his water. He still didn't feel entirely confident in regards to the oncoming evening, but having burnt off some of his nervousness and talked with Chan, he felt considerably better. 

"Ah, you really think so?" Chan's delight was evident in his voice, and he placed his hands on his knees in a way that resembled an excited child. "I've always wanted to be an older brother. Would you let me?"

"I think all of us would, to be honest." 

Chan only grew more thrilled at Seungmin's answer, and looked ready to begin gushing if the door hadn't opened to bring both of them back to the present. Jisung's head peaked in, his wide gaze flitting around the room until it landed on where Seungmin and Chan were still crouched against the wall. 

"Hey, Sungie!" Chan called over, while Seungmin raised a hand to wave in their friend's direction. Jisung nodded, his lips thinning into a smile as he stepped fully into the room and held the door open with one arm. 

"Binnie sent me down here to get you guys. We're all ready to go, I think." Jisung was clearly feeling some of the same apprehension Seungmin was, judging by the anxious tapping of his foot as he waited for the other two to join him.

Chan, ever the calm and grounding presence, stood and stretched with a long sigh. Seungmin hopped to his feet a second after, opting to leave his water bottle there, since they had made sure to pack enough to last them the journey already. They'd decided to leave at around four in order to hopefully arrive at the festival just before seven, having eaten a decent-sized meal mid-afternoon. Given Seungmin, Hyunjin and Jisung - half of their group - were fairly nervous, Chan had decided it might be safer for them to have dinner once they returned to the bunker after completing their mission. 

"Alright then!" Chan clapped his hands together, an action Seungmin had long-since recognised to be one of decisive finality. "Let's get going!" 

Jisung held the door open for them as they left, and Seungmin exchanged a fleeting smile with him as they fell into step beside Chan. It might have been nice to take a shower before leaving, given Seungmin wasn't sure if he would have to exert himself more over the course of the night (though he really hoped he didn't have to.) At least he wasn't feeling quite as uptight as he had been before going into the training room with Chan. 

They cut through the communal room with a newfound speed, Chan even picking up his pace as they drew closer to the lift. Jisung chatted away, though his conversation was mostly one-sided as Chan appeared to be entering one of his more serious moods, and Seungmin didn't ramble when he was nervous as Jisung appeared to. 

"And then I nearly cried, because I asked Hyunjin if he wanted to drink lemonade or water, and he said that he couldn't have fizzy drinks because they made his tongue hurt, and I just thought that a life without fizzy drinks must have been so sad, you know?" Jisung paused to take a breath as they departed the lift, while Seungmin nodded absentmindedly along with his story. 

Chan made a small noise of sympathy, but was moving towards the door leading to the garage before Jisung could even open his mouth to continue. Seungmin followed quickly, struggling to keep up with Chan's increased speed when he was keen to get somewhere. 

The van was, as Jisung had said, all ready for them. The back doors had been left open for Seungmin and Jisung to climb in, while the driver's side was primed for Chan. Hyunjin sat in the front passenger’s seat, in case he spotted anything as they drew closer to the venue of the music festival. They'd constructed a plan to carry out once they got there, but it would be ideal if they intercepted the gang before they even arrived at the festival, just to avoid the risk of making too much of a scene. And undeniably, a scene would be made if things went down at the festival as they expected. 

After giving Seungmin's shoulder a final pat of support, Chan walked around to the driver's seat, leaving the younger to follow Jisung towards the back of the van. Changbin and Jeongin's voices carried out from within, and Seungmin tried to push back his nerves as he climbed in after Jisung. 

"Hey, leave some blankets for us!" Jisung hissed, although he soon descended into a fit of giggles as Changbin tugged him down by the hem of his jacket. Seungmin settled down in a slightly more civilised manner, placing himself down beside Jeongin who shuffled to let Seungmin have access to the blanket pile that had been prepared for them. 

Jisung had already made himself comfortable by burying himself into Changbin's side, who had somewhat begrudgingly wrapped an arm around the younger's shoulders to accommodate him. Seungmin didn't feel quite as confident in regards to draping himself over Jeongin in the same way, which didn't make sense as he'd never hesitated to be so close to Jeongin before. 

He shook his head in an attempt to clear the thoughts away, and did his best not to be too aware of the how closely he was huddled next to Jeongin beneath the blanket they shared, enough that he could feel the younger's body heat and could have easily reached out to hold his hand if he wanted. But he didn't, and remained stiffly still as Chan began to reverse their van from the garage. 

"Everyone settled?" The blond's voice sounded from the front, earning a couple of affirmative responses from Changbin and Jisung. Jeongin was massaging his palm to Seungmin's right, and Seungmin guessed that he was going over the information that they had, preparing himself for what was to come. 

To try and further ground himself, Seungmin crossed his legs and rested his hands atop of the blanket, fixing his gaze on the opposite side of the van's rear. Four briefcases were piled up a little precariously, containing the equipment that Jeongin had packed for their mission, along with some light snacks and drinks if they needed them. Seungmin was feeling a little too nauseated to have an appetite, so he leaned back against the inside wall of the van and tried to make himself as comfortable as he could for the journey ahead. 

A quiet, somewhat tense hush fell over the vehicle, broken only by the rhythmic whirring of the engine and the humming of the radio which Chan had turned on. Seungmin could just about hear the older talking softly to Hyunjin in the front, but their words were drowned out by the background noise of their travelling. It wasn't long before Changbin and Jisung began talking as well, though as Jeongin was sitting between them and had remained silent, Seungmin didn't try to bring himself into the conversation. 

The same agitated yet excited atmosphere had been felt by all of them when they had made the trip to the bank weeks before, but Seungmin found he struggled even more with this one. He still couldn't shake the worry that clung to his mind and body, and he knew that the others also weren't without concern. The darkened interior of the van was hardly comforting either, without anything to look at sparing the cases on the opposite side. 

"How were things with Chan?" Jeongin asked softly, letting his chipped hand fall to his side to give Seungmin his full attention. Seungmin tried to suppress the way his heartbeat quickened when he felt Jeongin's familiar inquisitive gaze land on his face, and attempted to dismiss how clueless it made him feel. 

"It was alright," Seungmin gave a short answer, momentarily looking up to shoot Jeongin a smile. "We just trained for a little bit and talked. There wasn't time for much else." 

Jeongin nodded at Seungmin's response, fortunately glancing down to play with the fraying edges of the blanket they had draped over themselves. Seungmin couldn't keep his eyes from following the younger's movements, taking in how much more at peace he seemed. Jeongin had always been the strongest one, despite how often he would try to convince Seungmin otherwise. Seungmin knew that, even if Jeongin didn't believe it. 

"How were things for you?" He inquired, enclosing the two in their own little cocoon of privacy to a greater extent. "You know, setting everything up while we were gone?"

"Fine, I suppose..." Jeongin frowned, showing for the first time that he was feeling the same apprehension that the rest of the group were. "I wasn't as sure about what I had to be ready for, since everything's outside... It's not the kind of job we would be doing when it was just the two of us."

Seungmin hummed in agreement as Jeongin spoke what he had been thinking over himself for quite a while. Jeongin's iron grip on the technological systems of a location would always be one of the most important aspects of the battles they had carried out as 'vigilantes,' and so Seungmin guessed that most of their apprehension for the coming night was stemmed from that. It would be Jeongin's first time without quite as much to do, and Seungmin's first time taking a break from being on the front lines. 

One would have thought they'd feel less scared, given they had less to focus on, but it was quite the opposite. 

"What are your feelings about tonight?" Seungmin asked eventually into the silence which had settled over them. "Are you nervous?" 

He already knew the answer, and Jeongin's small, humourless laugh only confirmed it. "Of course I am... This stuff is exhilarating, but it is scary. Especially something like this... Jisung said it was a big deal for the whole music community, and there are going to be larger numbers of civilians and gang members alike. There's so much riding on this. When it was just the two of us, we never would have considered trying to take down Yellow Wood if they were doing an operation like this, but..."

_It's not just the two of us anymore,_ Seungmin finished internally as Jeongin trailed off. It had been something which had crossed his mind before, how much more they were capable of in a larger group, especially with members carrying as much experience and skill as Chan and Changbin. Seungmin couldn't lie and say that he didn't admire the two greatly, and that every time they praised either him or Jeongin for their work alone, he would feel upbeat and happy for the rest of the day. 

"You'll do great, Innie," Seungmin said finally, looking up from where he had previously been tracing patterns into the surface of their blanket. "You've never made any mistakes before, and I'm sure tonight won't be an exception." 

Jeongin met his gaze, and gave Seungmin a smile so full of gratitude and happiness that the brunet wanted to melt on the spot. Instead, he forced his own lips into a wobbly smile of his own, hoping that he didn't look nearly as frazzled as he felt. 

And then Chan spoke up from the front. Seungmin could have cheered in relief as Jeongin broke eye-contact to glance at the other end of the vehicle, allowing Seungmin to relax his stiffened muscles and try to regain his composure. 

"So, you guys are all ready in the back? You know what the plan is?" 

Chan's voice was calm and grounding, and Seungmin guessed that he was asking to comfort Hyunjin, who had been showing signs of nervousness for quite a few days preceding that one. 

"Yep!" Jeongin called in response, shuffling his body so that he was facing the front. "I'm going to get access to any systems around the venue as I can, like the speakers or the light circuits, and connect them all to one of the devices we have back here."

"Then I'll short-circuit them so that they all turn off, cutting off the audio and hopefully making the place completely dark," Jisung took over from Jeongin, nodding along to his words as if he was chanting them. Seungmin wouldn't have been surprised if he had repeated them over to himself numerous times in advance to their departure from the bunker. 

When Hyunjin didn't speak up from the front, Seungmin continued onto his part in the plan. "I'll get to a high area with Hyunjin, so that he can take advantage of the lack of singing and the darkness to figure out what we're dealing with in terms of Yellow Wood members." 

They'd had to guess a little bit with that part of their plan, by hoping the crowd wasn't too loud upon the lights and sound cutting out. There would be some cries of surprise, of course, but Jisung had informed them that generally the audience of this festival was fairly calm, and didn't get too boisterous until the later hours of the night. They also had to assume that people wouldn't move too much from their positions in the darkness, leaving Hyunjin able to pinpoint those slinking around as their targets. 

"I'll then start a fire on the ground, keeping it under control to make sure no one gets hurt or too much damage occurs," Chan carried on from the front, the confidence in his voice bringing Seungmin back to the present. "Using the excuse of it being caused from problems with the technology, hopefully people will clear out from the area."

"Then, having found out where most of the gang members are, I'll deal with them, and leave any leftovers to Chan," Changbin finished. A short breath passed Seungmin's lips in light of their plan; despite the countless times he had repeated it in his mind, his brain continued to supply unhelpful worries. 

Such as, what if someone came across Jisung and Jeongin, huddled in the back of the van and surrounded by computers? What if Chan lost control of his powers for a moment, and a civilian got hurt? What if the crowd was too loud, so Hyunjin was unable to hear anything and- 

"Wait, I love this song! Channie, can you turn it up please?" Jisung's voice was filled with so much excitement that Seungmin's racing thoughts came to an immediate standstill, his happy cry vanquishing any negativity that remained in Seungmin's mind. 

Chan complied to the younger's wishes, though he seemed to remain mindful of Hyunjin's heightened hearing as the volume of the song increased, and Seungmin could finally hear more than a subdued murmur. 

He would have guessed Jisung would be into upbeat, more danceable music, but found himself pleasantly surprised when a more sentimental tune filled the inside of the van. There was a mellow feeling to the song, which calmed the racing of Seungmin's heart in a way that a faster one would have failed to. When the artist began singing, his voice was sweet and soulful, layered with just a fraction of auto-tune yet painfully human. Sentimental lyrics reached Seungmin's ears, and he was about to close his eyes and enjoy the song when a noise which could only have been compared to a banshee's screech sounded from the other side of Jeongin. 

"Oh my god, you're too loud!" Hyunjin yelled from the front, though there was laughter in his voice as he twisted in his seat to glare at the occupants of the van's rear. 

Jisung and Changbin both had their heads thrown back, and seemed to be screaming with every ounce of power they contained along to the previously-soothing song. It took Seungmin a concerningly long amount of time to realise that they were trying to sing, though while it was clear they were fooling around, Seungmin could tell that if they had wanted to they could have sounded a lot better. 

"I will switch radio stations if you guys aren't careful," Chan called, though he also seemed a few seconds away from laughing himself. Jeongin was shaking with silent giggles to Seungmin's side; it appeared that Seungmin was the only one not amused by the antics of the pair, and rather was outright disgusted by how they had managed to butcher such a beautiful song. 

After what felt like far too long, they finally quietened down as the piece ended, the radio moving on to play an advert which Seungmin immediately lost interest in. Chan returned the volume to its original quiet mumble, and Seungmin found himself relishing the silence which settled over the van. 

Whenever they were together as a group in the bunker, quiet moments like these were few and far between. While being mindful of Hyunjin's abilities, someone would always be chatting away, or banter would be exchanged. Their personalities had slotted together with astonishing ease, Seungmin thought, and discovered that before long he grew just as relaxed around the others as Jeongin was. 

However, the looming threat of what they were about to do seemed to hang over all of their heads, leading to an undeniably nervous silence. No one spoke, and Seungmin certainly didn't feel prepared or strong enough to break the quiet. He doubted that there would be much of a response to anything he said, in any case. It didn't help that they had quite a way to go still; the venue of the festival was a good few hour's drive away, and being unable to keep his nerves at bay by moving soon made Seungmin feel even more on edge. The brief training session he had shared with Chan had succeeded in calming him for a short while, but the fearful thoughts creeping up on the back of his mind were only gaining momentum with his physical inactivity. 

Seungmin stared mutely at the cases opposite him as he tried to be as level-headed as Chan was, telling himself repeatedly that the chance of things going wrong was miniscule. Jeongin and Jisung would be quiet and well-hidden in the back of their van, and he and Hyunjin would hopefully be far enough away from the chaos for anything eventful to happen to them. Chan and Changbin had been doing things like this for years and were incomparably more experienced than Seungmin was, so if Chan said things would be alright, then they would be. 

They had to be. 

"Hey, Seungminnie." 

Changbin's voice was hushed, but Seungmin could just about pick up on it over the steady vibrations of the vehicle's movement. Somewhat reluctantly, he turned his head to the right so he could look at the older. 

Jisung had almost entirely disappeared from sight, and was only visible by the small tuft of dark-brown hair which was visible resting on Changbin's shoulder beneath a blanket. Seungmin couldn't help the small twinge of envy that shot through him at the sight of his friend resting so snug and comfortably - all of his laboured worrying had made him feel rather tired, but he doubted that he would be able to close his eyes for longer than required to blink, let alone get to sleep. 

His eyes wandered onto Jeongin's motionless figure, and felt himself soften at the sight of the younger. He had slid down slightly against the wall in a position that looked rather uncomfortable, but that would be hard to tell by the serene look of peacefulness on his face. 

"You should get some sleep too. We have a long night ahead of us, and you're not gonna be able to guard Jinnie if you're half-asleep." Changbin's gaze, which was usually playful and light-hearted, was softened with a more serious and empathetic expression. While Seungmin often forget about their age difference due to how childish the other could act sometimes, Changbin did occasionally let his more caring, mature side shine through. 

Seungmin opened his mouth to protest, but when Changbin's stare sharpened in stubbornness, he sighed and settled back against the wall of the van. It was uncomfortable, and he very much doubted he would be able to sleep, but at least he would be pleasing his friend by acting as though he was trying. 

"We'll be alright."

Changbin's voice was so soft that Seungmin struggled to pick up on it again. While he didn't reopen his eyes, he did hum quietly and give a single nod of his head. He did appreciate the comfort of Chan and Changbin, who were presumably more accustomed to such high stakes and the nervousness that accompanied them. 

Despite all of Seungmin's previous assumptions that sleep would be hard to come by in such an uncomfortable van, he must have drifted off somehow, because the next thing he was aware of was blinking his sleep-weighted eyelids open. Perhaps he shouldn't have been too amazed by it, given he had somehow managed to fall asleep on that very first eventful night when he and Jeongin had been tracked down in that motel room, but he couldn't shake his pleasant surprise. There was just something quite comforting, he thought, about having soothing words murmured to him just before he dozed off. 

Of course the van wasn't the most desireable place to rest, with Seungmin's back positioned at a ninety-degree angle to his legs, and the floor being cold and hard beneath him. His head had also lolled to the side as he was unconscious, it seemed, judging by the way his neck ached almost in harmony with the rest of his stiffened joints. 

Yet despite the uncomfortableness of his position, Seungmin felt undeniably more peaceful than he had when initially falling sleep. His worry-plagued mind had been just a little cared for, the absentness of sleep providing his head some respite. The previously musty smell of the van's interior had been washed away and replaced by one which was achingly familiar. 

Seungmin realised with a belated start that it was because he had ended up with his head on Jeongin's shoulder while he had slept. 

The speed in which he straightened sent a wave of nausea through his body at the abrupt movement, but he gulped it down along with his embarrassment. He wasn't quite sure what had made him so flustered; he and Jeongin had fallen asleep on each other countless times before during their couple of years together. Refraining from groaning aloud, Seungmin reached up to rub a hand across his heated face, desperate to try and rid himself of the confusing thoughts. 

_You have to figure this out, Seungmin..._ His mind supplied, and he wanted to slap himself for his own lack of helpfulness.

Fortunately Jeongin didn't wake at Seungmin's sudden movement, and instead let out a small, frustratingly cute noise before shuffling to reposition himself on Changbin's shoulder instead. Seungmin allowed himself to breath a sigh of relief, blinking the remaining sleepiness from his eyes. 

Changbin was still awake, though Jisung hadn't seemed to stir either. The older angled his head in Seungmin's direction at the sound of movement, and looked at Seungmin with a pair of expectant eyes. 

"How did you sleep?" He asked quietly over the top of Jeongin's head. 

"About as well as can be expected, I suppose..." Seungmin's voice was still slightly slurred with tiredness, earning a sympathetic pout from Changbin. Exhaling a softer, more tired sigh, Seungmin ran a final hand over his face to wake himself up. "But it wasn't too bad, thank you."

Changbin nodded understandingly, and Seungmin wondered if his friend had managed to get any sleep either. He didn't seem too tired, but Seungmin could pick up on a relatable slowness to how he blinked, as if his eyelids were doing all they could to remain closed. 

"We should probably look at waking these two up soon..." Changbin mumbled after a few minutes' of silence, giving his shoulders a small shrug to shift the two resting there. "You were asleep for quite a while, and I've heard Channie roll down the window and talk to someone outside. I'm guessing we're here, or at least close enough that he had to show off our tickets." 

He glanced in Seungmin's direction, giving the younger a helpless look when Jeongin only snuggled further into his neck instead of waking. Seungmin couldn't help the snort of amusement which left his lips, seeing as he had experienced Jeongin's stubbornness in the face of waking many times before, and leaned over to help with the seemingly-impossible task of rousing their two snoozing friends. 

Seeing that Seungmin was prepared to deal with the challenge that was their youngest, Changbin diverted his attention to Jisung. Seungmin felt his expression soften as he reached out to poke Jeongin's cheek, and tap him gently on the forehead.

Jeongin's face gave a twitch of protest, his eyebrows drawing together in a mixture of annoyance and confusion at being disturbed. He opened a single eye to stare at Seungmin, appearing both puzzled and content to find himself in the position he was in. Seungmin waited patiently as the other yawned once, letting out a small hum as he managed to blink open his other eye. 

"Good morning," Seungmin said teasingly as he lent Jeongin his hand to help the younger into a proper sitting position. In his sleep, Jeongin had managed to snatch most of the blanket which they had shared, resulting in his small frame being completely overcome by it. He whined as he tried to untangle himself, shooting Seungmin an incredulous glare when all he received was a giggle in assistance. 

Once he was resting in a proper sitting position, as opposed to leaning his entire weight on Changbin beside him, Jeongin glanced at Seungmin with a pair of half-lidded eyes. Seungmin almost wanted to coo at how sweet he looked, blinking desperately to try and clear the sleepiness from his mind and gradually regaining awareness of their situation. 

"Are we there yet?" He mumbled, bringing a blanket-covered hand up to rub his face just as Seungmin had done earlier. 

"Bin seemed to think so," Seungmin answered, just as the van came to a convenient halt. 

Without all of his attention being focused on Jeongin, Seungmin found himself growing a little more aware of their surroundings, despite the cocooning affect the van had on them in the back. He could faintly hear unfamiliar voices from outside, along with the distant carrying of a tune. 

A small pang hit his chest as he listened to the happy cheering of children, accompanied by laughter and teasing tones of parents. It had been quite a while since he'd been in such a carefree and joyous public atmosphere - given he and Jeongin tried to be as discreet as they could when they were travelling, and no families would be present so close to the gang-owned territories they would venture into. He had heard children's voices weeks ago at the bank, though they had been screaming in terror rather than excitement, so they didn't quite have the same heart-warming effect. 

It had been a while since such peaceful, _normal_ sounds had reached his ears, but he still wondered whether that was what he could have had in his childhood if things had been different. Instead, the only memories he held onto from his early years were those of eerily quiet corridors, piles of books and the gleaming of metal being his only source of excitement. 

"You guys all awake back there?"

Chan's breezy question tore Seungmin from his thoughts, and he gave his head a small shake to try and regain his concentration. He couldn't be lost in wistfulness when they had a task at hand, especially as he was part of a team which was relying on him. Whether he liked it or not, this was his life. 

Seungmin raised his gaze from the floor and instead looked to the front of the van, where Chan and Hyunjin had both turned in their seats to be able to observe the group in the back. The older's gaze warmed considerably as he was met with the sight of their still slightly sleep-softened forms, buried beneath a mound of blankets and snuggled together like a litter of kittens. Hyunjin also had a similar reaction, though his lips downturned in a longing expression Seungmin could only guess was conveying jealousy at missing out on their large cuddle pile. 

"Did you see anything out there, Jinnie?" Jisung asked from Changbin's side, appearing to have been successfully woken up from his slumber. Hyunjin perked up, but soon deflated along with the rest of the group as as he shook his head. 

"No, nothing... I've never been to a music festival, for obvious reasons-" He pointed to his ears, where his earbuds were resting securely. "-But nothing leapt out at me as being out of the ordinary. No suspicious vehicles, no suspicious people, no anything."

A downhearted silence of resignation settled over the six. They hadn't said it aloud, but all of them had been hoping to manage to intercept the gang before they reached the location of the festival, just to avoid the large confrontation which was bound to occur if they didn't. They were more than prepared for the outcome they were left with, however, and Seungmin felt a hard acceptance fill him which was more than welcome as it helped to erase his remaining nerves. At least now he knew for certain what they would have to do, and so could concentrate every ounce of himself on it. 

"Innie, can you check if Yellow Wood has said anything else?" Chan asked, breaking the quiet. His expression was grim, though he still attempted to smile through it for the sake of the more fearful members of their group. Seungmin appreciated that, even though he was aware of his own anticipation turning into one of determination as opposed to tension. 

Jeongin nodded and pulled himself up from where he sat against the wall, leaving the blanket to cover Seungmin entirely. It still felt unnervingly cold all of a sudden to be missing his presence, which had been warm and grounding for the entire journey, so Seungmin pulled the fabric around himself in an effort to fight off the sudden chill. 

The group watched in wordless expectation as Jeongin opened one of the cases, taking out a simple folded laptop. It was a similar size to the one Seungmin had taken from his home, but was a little more sophisticated, so Jeongin had opted to bring it along instead. Seungmin didn't feel quite as upset about that as he might have expected. 

The white-blue glow of a loading screen filled the otherwise dark atmosphere in the back of the van; Chan and Hyunjin's seats blocked out any of the sunlight from outside. Jeongin's hands flew over the keyboard, his face a serene mask of calmness which could only be worn by someone who was confident and experienced in what they were doing. He didn't hesitate for a moment, even when he let out a small sigh of disappointment and glanced up from what he was doing. 

"Nothing new, and I can't track them anymore. I'd guess they're either here already, or well on their way. It's just gone seven, so we have a little under an hour until the sun is completely set and we guessed the raid will begin." 

Everyone looked to Chan, who processed Jeongin's words with a single, soothingly calm nod. His gaze remained clear and unpanicked as he glanced around the group, taking in each person's individual condition. Seungmin couldn't see either of Jisung or Changbin's expressions, but Hyunjin had grown unnaturally pale and Jeongin's face was ashy grey in the lighting of his computer screen. Seungmin tried to remain composed as Chan's even gaze landed on him, lingering for a moment as if searching for something, before he gave another nod and turned to Jeongin once again. 

"I say we get into position then. It's better early than late, right?" 

His words seemed to flip an invisible switch within each of the other five, and Seungmin felt the last of his nerves dissipate as the finality of what they were doing settled into him. Changbin was the first to his feet, making his way over to another case which contained their collection of carefully charged and programmed earpieces. Jisung followed closely behind, his legs trembling slightly - whether due to nerves or disuse - while Hyunjin ran an agitated hand through his hair in the front. 

Now left alone in their little pile of blankets, Seungmin wearily shoved the fabric aside so that he could move himself. After a moment of debating, he decided to help Jeongin unpack the other computers he had brought - both a little larger than the laptop which had been taken out initially. 

Shooting Seungmin a quick look of gratitude, Jeongin got to work on setting up the biggest of the three, which he had dedicated to taking control of the sound and lighting systems of the festival. It had the hardest task of them all, so understandably was the one the younger wished to focus on most. Seungmin, on the other hand, took out the middle-sized machine and loaded it up so it was ready to monitor and control the communication channels in their earpieces. Spending so much time with Jeongin had taught him his fair share of technological skills, after all. 

"Earpieces all set?" Chan called from the front, earning an affirmative nod from Seungmin and Changbin, who had already slotted his into position for the first test. Content with the first hurdle being passed, Chan switched his focus to Jeongin and asked, "Festival systems?" 

"Not too bad," Jeongin answered immediately, his own gaze remaining on the large computer which he had occupied himself with. He was already leaning against the other wall, now surrounded on all sides by the machines which had been set up with Seungmin's help, and had seemed to have fallen right into his comfort area. "I should be able to get control of them pretty easily, and they're already connected together, so if I just link them to this computer I'm sure Sungie and I can cause a blackout." 

Hyunjin watched the entire showcase with wide eyes and an open mouth, appearing stunned by how the others had knuckled down and got to work after barely a second's notice. Seungmin made a mental note to try and act a little less serious when he was alone with Hyunjin, as he didn't want the taller to freeze up under the growing pressure which was mounting on them with the rushed yet efficient setup. 

A hand came into Seungmin's peripheral vision, causing him to glance away from Hyunjin and look at the person reaching out to him: Jisung. His large eyes were slightly narrowed in a skittish resoluteness, but his palm was steady as it offered Seungmin an earpiece. Seungmin took it, giving Jisung a short nod of thanks and slipped it into position. Barely a second passed before Jisung was on his feet, making his way over to the front to hand Chan his own earpiece.

"Then let's go," Chan finished, giving Hyunjin an encouraging pat on the shoulder before leaning over and opening the door on the driver's side. He peeked over the back of the seat one final time, warm gaze lingering on Jeongin and Jisung, before he slipped out into the golden sunlight. 

Hyunjin lingered for a moment too, before gulping and looking into the back. He spoke quietly and with a toneless voice, though his eyes were swimming pools of terror and longing. Then, in a flash they were gone, replaced by the dark sheen of his sunglass lenses. "Good luck, guys."

Knowing that it was now his turn to leave, Seungmin steeled himself. They'd already discussed how they couldn't look suspicious, and so would have to put on carefree expressions and act as though they were at the festival as guests. Seungmin was about to turn on his heel and make his way towards the rear doors of the van, but an attention-seeking tugging at the hem of his jacket kept him from moving. He turned to look at Jeongin, but felt himself be pulled down before he could even open his mouth to ask what was wrong.

Jeongin's arms were warm and secure around him, but there was a significant tremor to them as his hands rested on Seungmin's back. For a moment Seungmin was shocked into motionless silence, frozen in an embrace which made him feel countless emotions that he couldn't name. Eventually his muscles caught up to his thoughts, and he managed to bring his own arms up to wrap around Jeongin's neck. 

"Be safe," Jeongin said quietly, his voice a subtle murmur in Seungmin's ear. Seungmin's eyes fluttered closed, and for a moment he just allowed himself to breathe and take in Jeongin's scent, becoming accustomed to the warmth of their bodies combined. 

"You too." 

Jeongin's grip loosened far too soon in Seungmin's opinion, but he didn't let the disappointment control him. Pursing his lips to try and keep them from wobbling, he straightened and looked to Changbin, who was just just emerging from a tight hug of his own with Jisung. The older met Seungmin's gaze with evenness, and he gave an affirmative nod as he made his way over, reaching out to give Jeongin's head a quick ruffle as he passed. 

"Ready?" He asked softly as they reached the back doors of the van, gripping onto the handle of the right-side door. The simple movement reminded Seungmin of how everything had been planned down to the tiniest detail, such as how he and Changbin would exit through that side so Jeongin, Jisung and their little collection of computers couldn't be seen by anyone outside. 

"I'm ready," Seungmin responded, his voice miraculously even. 

Changbin retained eye-contact for a second longer, before he leaned forwards and pushed the door open. Golden sunlight streamed into the rear of the van, but it was soon blocked by his body as he stepped out, closely followed by Seungmin. As soon as Seungmin stepped down the door was closed behind him, placing a wall between the two of them and their friends inside. Seungmin took a deep breath and lifted a hand to brush at the device in his ear, more to remind himself of Jeongin's presence than anything productive. 

Even though the sun was in the process of setting, and its light was partially blocked by the reaching tops of pine trees surrounding them, the brightness of the outside world was a little startling. Seungmin squinted as he took in the sight of the rural parking lot Chan had stationed themselves in. 

Many other vehicles were aligned in neat rows in the clearing, on a refreshing mixture of grass and gravel. The ground was soft beneath Seungmin's feet, but a little too noisy as he pivoted to try and get a better sense of his bearings. 

Groups of people were leaving the sides of their cars and making their way to the right, where he spotted a pathway leading further into the trees. Judging by how they suddenly disappeared from sight, it descended into what he assumed was the clearing where the festival would be taking place, meaning that the position he would take up with Hyunjin would be on their current level. 

Speaking of Hyunjin, the crunching of gravel underfoot alerted Seungmin of the presence of their other two friends who had left the van. Chan stepped out from behind the vehicle, swinging his keys around on his index finger with such a carefree air that Seungmin almost wondered if he had forgotten what they were really at the festival to do. With his loose cardigan and unruffled appearance, he perfectly matched the vibe which Seungmin had come to associate with the festival while doing his research. 

"We good to go?" Chan asked as he paced by, finally putting the keys into the pocket of his jeans and walking over to where Hyunjin was waiting just a few meters behind them. 

With his flowing hair and sun-kissed skin, Hyunjin somehow managed to convey the feel of the festival with even more accuracy. He looked nothing short of a model as Chan reached his side, the shades which previously had seemed out of place now perfectly styled to fit with the glowing sunlight in the background. 

"Of course!" Changbin easily shed his tense frown to be replaced with an excited grin, and he linked one of his arms with Seungmin, who was feeling rather lost. He'd never had to play a part in a mission before, and with the others seeming to slip into personas so easily, he was left enduring sudden cluelessness. 

Fortunately, Changbin appeared to pick up on how perplexed he felt, and succeeded in dragging Seungmin towards the other two. Hyunjin threw a carefree arm over Chan's shoulder as they approached, and the oldest shot Seungmin a dazzling grin as he began to steer them all in the direction of the pathway which led to the site of the main event. 

As they walked, Seungmin began to feel himself relaxing bit by bit. It seemed that at every turn this mission would present him with something new and unfamiliar, such as having to walk right into a confrontational location when usually he would sneak in with the help of Jeongin's instructions and guidance. However, Changbin's presence was firm and grounding at his side, and as he kept his eyes trained on Chan and Hyunjin in front of him, he was reminded of how prepared they were for what was to come. 

Pretending to be relaxed was by far the simplest thing they would have to do that night. 

"I know this is your first time at a festival like this, Seungminnie, but I can assure you that you'll have a good time," Changbin said in a light, yet significantly loud tone as a group of people passed by them. Seungmin shot the older a quick look, meeting Changbin's gaze for a split-second. He was tempted to laugh at just how desperate Changbin was to comfort him, even when they had to be discreet about it, and just how much it meant to him. "And besides, we'll be here the whole time. So much work goes into stuff like this, you see, and Chan and I have been to plenty. We know exactly how to make your experience the best!" 

Seungmin chuckled softly, feeling a genuine smile make its way onto his face as he bowed his head. Changbin nudged him lightly, but soon sobered up as they reached the area of the path where it began to descend into the clearing below. 

Despite the twinge of nervousness Seungmin felt when staring down at the festival, he also felt undeniably awed by the setup. The photos they had seen didn't do the sheer magnificence of the place justice, with its seemingly countless stalls and intricately designed decorations. Looming above it all was the stage, shielding a few small trailers (presumably for the performers) out of sight from the ground. A large clearing had been left just in front of it, and a wave of relief washed over Seungmin as it confirmed Changbin would be able to use his powers without too much of a worry, as long as they could evacuate people from the area in time. And Chan had already determined he would be able to do that, with Jeongin and Jisung providing an explanation for the fire. 

They would be fine. 

Changbin's arm suddenly disappeared, and Seungmin almost whined in complaint as the older stepped back. He knew that they would be splitting into their respective pairings from that moment, and so didn't move to follow Changbin as he maneuvered himself to Chan's side. Seungmin's gaze rested on Chan for a second, and the older took that opportunity to break character to give Seungmin a fleetingly short nod of encouragement. Their gestures couldn't be as outwardly supportive as the ones shared in the back of the van, but it was better than nothing, and gave Seungmin a final boost of confidence in the face of splitting up. 

Hyunjin brushed shoulders with Changbin as they switched places, their shared eye-contact lingering for perhaps slightly longer than could have been considered normal, before he came to a stop beside Seungmin. And with a concluding, cheerful wave from Chan and extravagantly blown air-kiss by Changbin, the older two turned and continued their descent towards the festival. 

Seungmin and Hyunjin didn't speak as they initially strayed from the path; they didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention to themselves. Fortunately, the large trees provided almost immediate relief from the countless gazes of people on the pathway, and it wasn't long before Seungmin felt concealed enough to begin conversation. 

"So this is it, huh?" He began slowly, still trying to make himself feel as devoid of emotion as he usually did in a mission environment. 

He'd felt nothing but emotional upon stepping out of the back of their van. Perhaps it was his lingering fearful anticipation, or the remaining fluttering of his heart from the hug he shared with Jeongin. Although he was more certain that it was because of the setting they had found themselves in, which was just so different to anywhere he had ever been before. With Jeongin, he had never attempted to take any Clé groups down at an event as prestigious as this one. Accompanied by the brief words from Changbin and the carefree way in which the older had connected their arms, Seungmin just felt an undeniably strong sense of _longing._

He wanted to go to music festivals because Jisung was into them, and he wanted Chan to look so at peace because he genuinely felt that way. He wanted Hyunjin to look so good in shades because he could, not because he had to, and he wanted Changbin to tell him that things were alright because he was nervous about his first festival, not because he was nervous that one of them could be seriously hurt. He wanted to be able to hug Jeongin without worrying if it would be his last time doing so. 

"This is really scary," Hyunjin said as they continued to venture through the forest. "Was my acting alright? Channie told me to act natural, like we were here for pleasure, but I'm not sure if I seemed too uptight."

"You did great," Seungmin replied, glancing over his shoulder at the steadily-shrinking pathway behind them. "You were way cooler than I was. Binnie more or less had to manhandle me to get me moving." 

Hyunjin threw his head back and laughed, though fortunately not loud enough to attract any unwanted attention. They were quickly putting distance between themselves and the pathway in any case, meaning it wouldn't be too long before Seungmin could cease having to check behind them every other second. 

As he fell into comfortable conversation with Hyunjin, Seungmin recalled what Chan had said in the training room back at the bunker. 'I thought you and Hyunjin could help quell each others' nerves a little.' Once again, the older had proven to know Seungmin's needs better than Seungmin did himself, as he found talking with Hyunjin assisted both in taking his mind off of the stakes of their operation, as well as the wistful thoughts of a better life, as during the time they were concealed together by the trees, it really did feel as though that life might have been within Seungmin's grasp. 

He hadn't talked too much with Hyunjin during their shared time at the bunker. They got on, and at one point Hyunjin had even asked if they could make pancakes together (though with slightly less butter, he had added, earning himself a playful flick on the forehead.) However, Seungmin wouldn't say that he felt a bond with the taller as he did with Jeongin, and he hadn't immediately felt drawn to him as he had with Changbin. 

So he found himself pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to talk with Hyunjin - relishing the time that they spent wandering through the forest in search of a good spot from a visual standpoint. Hyunjin also appeared to loosen up quite a bit as they talked, his face gradually slackening into a more relaxed expression. It gradually grew harder for Seungmin to see him, due to the darkening natural light around them, but Hyunjin's voice and gestures were so dramatic that his emotions were always easily interpreted. 

While he had shared carefree moments with other members of the group, such as the resting periods between training sessions with Chan, or singing along with Jisung as he strummed at his guitar, their environment would always be a grim reminder of the world they were living in. No matter how much Seungmin had tried to immune himself to it, the walls of the bunker had a suffocating air about them, and he knew that he could never truly feel at home under its roof. However, while he was out in the forest with Hyunjin, it all just felt so natural. 

Until Jeongin's voice cut through his mind, bringing reality crashing back. 

_"How is it going, Seungminnie?"_

Seungmin came to a halt, his hand flying up to grasp the earpiece. Hyunjin stopped as well, trailing off as he watched Seungmin's movement. His eyebrows furrowed, and he mouthed 'message?' to which Seungmin nodded once. 

Another reason why Seungmin had been assigned as Hyunjin's guard-like figure was because Hyunjin was unable to use the earpieces. One of the first things he had made them aware of was his sensitivity towards automated voices, such as those coming through a phone receiver. That immediately crossed earpieces off of the equipment he could use, and so in order to keep him connected with the group on missions at least one member of their group had to be with him at all times. 

"Um... Let me ask Jinnie," Seungmin responded to Jeongin, before raising his gaze from the ground to survey Hyunjin. "Do you think you can see enough from here?"

Hyunjin paused to process Seungmin's question for a moment, before he turned to look out across the clearing which opened up in front of them. The dark land slanted down into the opening on all sides, perfectly encasing the festival as if its joyful lights were magma rising from the crater of a volcano. Seungmin could barely pick apart the stalls, let alone the individual figures which swarmed between them, but Hyunjin seemed to be an entirely different case. 

He lowered himself to the floor on one knee, using one hand to reach up and remove his shades and the other to support himself. His eyes flitted around the gathering far below them, and Seungmin could recognise him picking up on individual details which Seungmin himself felt blinded to. 

"Binnie's trying to win Chan a rubber duck," he muttered, beaming with amusement. Seungmin tried to follow his gaze, but found himself unable to identify their two friends, and so let out a small breath of amazement in regards to Hyunjin's showcase of his powers as he pressed a finger to his earpiece to give Jeongin an answer. 

"I think we've got a place here. Ready when you guys are." 

" _Great. I'll go tell the others, then open up the channels to everyone and we can get started._ " 

The subtle static which filled Seungmin's mind deafened itself, and he moved to make himself comfortable against a tree trunk behind him. At his words, Hyunjin tore his gaze from whatever he had been watching within the festival, and replaced his entertained grin with a more serious expression. He copied Seungmin's position by sliding down next to a trunk opposite, stretching out his long legs so that their shoes just brushed. 

His sunglasses remained on the ground between them, as Hyunjin leant his head back to rest against the tree behind him with a long sigh. Seungmin felt the same - whatever the emotion was - especially when the speaker-amplified music began to fill the clearing. It reached them with a muffled clarity, the words indecipherable but the melody appreciable all the same. Seungmin worried for a moment that the low thrumming of the song would be harmful to Hyunjin, but a quick glance in the other's direction told him that Hyunjin was actually quite enjoying it, his fingers tapping idly on the ground along with the beat. 

With their conversations from before discontinued, the two sat in silence as they listened to the music of the festival. A cool breeze ruffled Seungmin's hair, and the ground felt refreshing beneath his body in comparison to the hardness of the van's floor. The darkness of the night which had settled surrounded them, and it was so peaceful that Seungmin probably could have fallen asleep, if it were not for the awareness of the signal they were waiting for which kept him alert and awake. 

"They're dancing down there." 

Seungmin glanced up from the blades of glass he had been toying with, somewhat surprised to find Hyunjin's gaze had refocused on the festival. He was looking at something which Seungmin couldn't pinpoint, but judging by the amused yet endeared smile on his face, it was a pleasant watch. 

"Who are?" Seungmin asked, his hand falling still at his side. 

"Channie and Bin. They're awful, my god." 

Hyunjin's voice was light despite his words, and Seungmin felt a grin play at his lips as he imagined what the other might be seeing. He sounded equally as carefree as he responded. 

"They're probably trying to enjoy themselves. We're at a beautiful venue, and have a bit of time to kill. What better way than to dance, even if they're hopeless at it?" 

Hyunjin let out a small laugh before he fell into silence, his eyes remaining on the festival as the song changed into a slower one. Seungmin felt slightly sorry for Jeongin, and especially Jisung, who were missing out on listening to such beautiful music. Chan and Changbin had the best seats in the house, but Seungmin thought that the view he and Hyunjin had landed themselves with was arguably the most unforgettable. 

He finally managed to identify it: the emotion which had been clinging to his heart ever since they had arrived at the venue. 

_Sadness._

For all of his life, Seungmin had been isolated. He had grown up without a proper family or friends of any sort, until he had met Jeongin and the two began working in a way which couldn't be described 'normal' in any world. He had still been isolated then, even if he was not alone, and that hadn't changed upon the discovery of his other friends. Even if they shared the same burdens as he did, they were all cut off from the world whether they liked it or not. 

Yet when Seungmin looked down at the crowd in the glowing lights below, he couldn't distinguish Chan and Changbin from the hundreds of other people. Even if one of them had the power to burn the entire clearing down to the ground within a matter of seconds, and the other could manipulate time itself, they blended in with the normalcy of it all as if they were destined to be there. It made Seungmin wonder if he could too. He had never considered it before, but perhaps it was possible to simply pretend he didn't have the powers he did, and live a normal life where he could have friends and attend festivals without worrying about anything other than whether his favourite song would be performed. 

"I think you're really amazing, you know?" 

Hyunjin spoke quietly, but his words might as well have been shouted for the effect they had on Seungmin. He jumped and looked towards the taller, questioning whether he had really heard what he had. Hyunjin's eyes were filled with a startling confidence as they met Seungmin's, and Seungmin almost glanced away with just how much emotion he saw in them. 

"You... you do?" He stuttered, flinching in response to how his voice wavered with uncertainty. It suddenly felt as though every thought of his had been laid out on the grass between them, and Hyunjin could reach forward and pick one up to examine it without any difficulty. 

"I do," Hyunjin replied simply, nodding as he turned back towards the festival. "Innie told me about what you guys did before joining this group. He told me how you were so skilled with your powers when he met you, and how you were always so good at looking after him. He said that he trusted you with his life, and that he would sacrifice his own for you if it meant you would be happy."

Seungmin's sight blurred, and he wasn't aware that he was crying until he felt a warm liquid trickle down the side of his face. If Hyunjin noticed he didn't say anything, giving Seungmin the time and the space to rub at his eyes in disbelief. He couldn't remember the last time he had cried. 

_Innie said that?_

He opened his mouth to ask Hyunjin more, feeling a tugging at his heart so desperate that it was almost a struggle to breathe, but the voice of the very person who had brought tears to his eyes cut him off. 

" _Seung_ _, are you two ready? I think Yellow Wood might be here, and Sungie and I have everything connected and good to go. Channie and Bin can hear this too, but I muted their channels so the feedback from the music isn't too bad."_

Seungmin inhaled sharply, attracting Hyunjin's attention as the other glanced away from the festival to shoot Seungmin a wide-eyed look of anticipation. Hoping that his voice wasn't conveying any of his inner turmoil, Seungmin cleared his throat and gave his response. 

"We're ready over here. Go for it." 

He met Hyunjin's gaze, watching as the carefree glimmer to the other's eyes dissipated to be replaced by a darker resolution. Seungmin's hand began to tremble as he pressed the earpiece roughly into his ear, bracing himself for what was to come. 

" _Alright, I'm about to cut it all off,_ " Jisung's shaky voice came through the receiver. Seungmin raised a hand to indicate Jisung's timing with his fingers as the other began the countdown, and Hyunjin lifted both of his arms in preparation to take out his earbuds. " _In three, two, one... Blackout._ " 

Hyunjin tore the earbuds out just as the entire clearing descended into darkness, and the comforting hum of music cut off with a jarring suddenness. It was as if a light-switch had quite literally been turned, and an eerie stillness settled over the world. Seungmin was left feeling quite disorientated, and he could only imagine how it must have felt for those in the clearing below who had previously been surrounded by the now-vanished party life. 

For a split second, everything was silent. 

And then there seemed to come a collective roar from below. Voices cried out, and Hyunjin hissed at the loudness of it all, immediately scrambling to replace his earbuds as Seungmin shot to his feet. 

If he had thought the festival was hard to see before, the difficulty had been tripled with the loss of lighting. He could just about make out the large frame of the stage's silhouette in the void in front of him, but the starlight above did nothing to assist him as he squinted in desperation. Every nerve in his body told him to check on Hyunjin, who was panting heavily behind him, but he also knew that Chan and Changbin were in the darkness down there and would be awaiting a command of some sort. If they didn't get one, and were left alone to navigate the mission from there, he didn't know what could- 

"There's a group of people, moving down the left towards the trailers behind the stage!" Hyunjin gasped, and Seungmin whipped around in shock at hearing the other's voice. 

Hyunjin was leaning heavily on the tree he had previously been sat against, his earpieces now safely back in place and his face pale. Seungmin held out a hand to steady him, but a second later Hyunjin was stumbling forwards, fixating his tear-filled gaze on a spot in the distance that Seungmin couldn't even begin to place. 

"They have masks on, and there are... There are fifteen of them. I can see something shining- a knife, I think... All of them are going behind the stage to the trailers." 

He whipped around to look frantically at Seungmin, his lips still moving as if to try and form words that he couldn't quite get out. Seungmin reached out to grip his shoulders and keep him standing - as his legs were looking frightfully unsteady - and wasted no time in speaking through to the others who he knew were waiting desperately for news. 

"Jinnie says there's a large group of fifteen wearing masks, heading to the trailers which are behind the stage! He thinks they're armed with knives, but we're not sure." 

Thankfully Jeongin didn't unmute Chan and Changbin's channels, as judging by the terrified chorus of voices which still rose from the clearing below, their audio would hardly be pleasant to hear through a receiver. The younger's voice was confident and commanding as he spoke, however, filling Seungmin with a reassurance he hadn't realised he needed. 

" _Alright Bin, you head there. Channie, we're going to need that clearing cleared out._ " 

Barely ten seconds passed after Jeongin's message before Seungmin caught sight of something in the clearing in front of him. It was tiny, almost impossible to see, before it gradually grew to become something far more noticeable. 

It was a fire. And it was spreading.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh, cliffhanger! I'm sorry T-T 
> 
> But this was a little more of an active chapter I suppose... Our first POV from Seungmin too! :D It was a lot of fun to explore his character first-hand, along with his relationships as well! I've been anticipating this chapter for a while, along with the one coming next, so please do look forward to it! 
> 
> I hope that you had as much fun reading this as I did writing it :3 Also thank you so much for the lovely feedback, it makes me happier than I can express in words :"o
> 
> And please feel free to contact me on Twitter @beanwillstay
> 
> <3


	8. {8}

Changbin gritted his teeth as the cries overwhelmed him. He wasn't sure why the sudden cut of power terrified people so much, and craned his neck to try and catch a glimpse of the area he guessed Seungmin and Hyunjin might be watching. Concern for the latter flashed through him, as he knew Hyunjin would initially have attempted to use his hearing, and so would have been exposed to the horrendously loud screaming of the crowd. 

Someone brushed clumsily past Changbin, their shoulders colliding and sending the smaller stumbling forwards a few steps. Changbin cursed under his breath and tore his gaze away from the forest, giving up on his fruitless search for his friends. They didn't have long, and Seungmin had given him all of the information he needed about the whereabouts of the gang members. 

As soon as Jeongin and Jisung had sent the clearing into a blackout, chaos had erupted and Changbin had been separated from Chan. They'd done their best to remain together, intertwining their hands and grasping onto each other as tightly as they could, but it was impossible to stay connected when the strength of the crowd seemed to want to do everything in its power to drag them apart. 

Changbin massaged his shoulder as he straightened, trying to regain his focus. It had been disorientating to have been surrounded by so much light and sound one moment, only to be completely bathed in darkness the next, and his senses were still having a bit of trouble adjusting. It didn't help much that the atmosphere was so occupied by terror that his thoughts had trouble keeping up with the fast-paced action around him. While his legs were rooted to the spot, with every passing second at least four people would push roughly past him, their movement urgent and propelled by fear. 

_Don't let time run away from you, Changbin,_ he growled in his head, desperately tugging at his consciousness and willing it to obey. As befogging as the sudden change of ambience was, he could feel heat steadily building behind him, and an angry orange had begun to replace the previously colourful lights of the festival. 

The people around him continued to run, although now with even more haste, and Changbin immediately knew why. Accompanying the sudden heated light from behind him was a distinct crackling sound which Changbin had heard enough times to identify as flames. The increasing content of smoke in the air, paired with the warmth at his back and the flickering glow the fire cast out onto the grass in front of him, was enough to spur him into action. Changbin welcomed the clarity of his thoughts greatly, and finally managed to move his feet so he could pivot and survey the chaos which was unfolding behind him. 

Flames licked their way up the curtains which had previously framed the stage, and were in the process of spreading along the shiny wooden floor of its elevated platform. Chan seemed to have decided to have disguised them as being caused by the speakers on either side of the stage, resulting in the inferno reaching out to take a hold of the nearby tents as well. 

Any normal onlooker would have been utterly terrified by the sight, yet Changbin was almost comforted by it. Over the years he had learnt to notice tiny details about Chan's firestorms which differentiated them from natural ones, such as how the flames would extend with a slightly controlled air about them, like they were being reigned in by some other force. 

Changbin squinted through the roaring fire, paying no heed to the way its powerful wind battered his hair and attempted to push him back. The screams around him had since dissipated as the crowd grew further and further away, meaning that it would be his turn to act soon. He wanted to see Chan a final time before making his way behind the stage, but knew that the older probably had his hands full with containing the blaze, given how extensive it was. 

Sparing one final glance over his shoulder in the direction of the trees where he knew Hyunjin and Seungmin were residing around, Changbin turned on his heel and ran towards the left side of the stage as he had been instructed to. Chan had very conveniently left the area flameless to allow Changbin to pass, but as soon as he crossed behind the stage he felt a heat spreading behind him as Chan closed the temporary gateway in the fire. 

Changbin came to a halt just behind the stage, its looming presence casting much of the land behind it in complete darkness. Chan had carefully kept the fire from reaching any further back, as they had planned, so the late coolness of the evening settled over Changbin as he was concealed from the flames. 

His eyes systematically raked over the three trailers which were parked in front of him. According to Seungmin, Hyunjin had spotted the group of gang members heading to the left, which suggested they would be in the left-hand vehicle. All three had their lights off, and fortunately appeared to be deserted, meaning no frightened performer had fled backstage to try and escape Chan's inferno. They wouldn't have known the flames would stop as soon as they hit the area like Changbin did, of course. 

The largeness of the stage unfortunately did nothing to block out of constant roaring of the flames, so Changbin didn't have a hope of hearing the group as they worked. Fortunately he didn't have to, as he noticed the middle trailer's door had been forced open, and while Changbin couldn't see inside he guessed that it had been the first one the gang had entered. They probably couldn't believe their luck, with such a distraction driving everyone away from the area. Changbin's lips curled in disgust as he stepped away from the veiling shadow of the stage. 

He had nothing on him to fight with, but that wasn't a problem. Hyunjin seemed to think that the group were armed with knives at least, and Changbin had been trained to quickly disarm his opponents and use their own weapons against them. Knives were quite messy, which he wasn't too happy about, but he could manage. If he was fortunate they might have been carrying guns too, and if they turned out not to have anything on them at all, he was sure there would be something in the trailer he could use to knock them out at least. 

Changbin reached into the pockets of his jacket as he climbed the few provisional stairs which led to the open entrance of the trailer. He leant against the wall so that he remained out of sight and took out his gloves, carefully slipping them onto his hands. If Hyunjin's guess about the knives was correct, he would be leaving a bit of a mess behind, and to have his fingerprints littered on the bodies would just result in unnecessary trouble that JYP would have to clean up. 

And Changbin swore that he would never have to rely on that man again. 

He couldn't make out the words being said from within the trailer, but he managed to pick up on quite a few different tones, confirming that there was a large number of them. That wasn't a problem as long as they weren't spread out, and given they were all contained in the trailer, his job was looking to be rather easy. 

Changbin took a deep breath to steady his heartbeat, the familiar calmness of his abilities washing over him. As much as he had mixed feelings about them, they did provide a sense of security when he was the only one with the ability to move, and they had taught him that five seconds was more than enough time to do a decent amount of damage. 

Yet he did want to savour every moment he could get, so didn't initiate his powers until he had stepped fully into the trailer and taken in the sight in front of him. 

His sudden appearance was picked up on immediately by the people who had crammed into the limited spacing of the trailer, and Changbin found a glinting point being directed at his throat. 

_One._

The usage of his powers had been so instantaneous that every member in front of him was frozen in a rather awkward-looking position, either in the process of whipping up from whatever they had been leaning over, or reaching into a pocket to draw a weapon.

The order of Changbin's actions had been drilled into his head during his time at JYP, maximising his ability to make the most of his five seconds, so he was used to processing many details and forming a mental plan within the space of a millisecond. The first thing he had been taught to do was assess the situation while he could, and so that was what he did. 

_Two._

A tiny desk-light had been turned on in the far corner of the trailer, its glow dim enough that he hadn't picked up on it while outside. One member was leaning over the desk and looking down at something on its surface, though Changbin's gaze quickly flitted away to take in other things.

There were fifteen people in total, though Changbin couldn't distinguish much about them given their faces were covered by masks, just as Hyunjin had said. Feeling a flash of pride that the younger had picked up accurately on so much, Changbin finally returned his stare to the one closest to him who had previously been pointing something sharp at Changbin's throat. 

That sharp object, Changbin realised with considerable disappointment, was a pocket knife. 

_Three._

He raised his eyes and gave his attacker an unimpressed look. It did feel a little amusing to see so much anger and hostility in the dark pupils glaring out at him from beneath the mask, greatly contrasting the unthreatening-ness of his weapon. Something a little more efficient might have been desireable, but Changbin didn't waste any more time before snatching the item from the person's grasp and slitting their throat neatly. 

With a smooth sidestep he avoided the blood which sprayed towards his face, and made his way down the trailer. 

_Four._

Urgency shot through his veins as he sensed he was running out of time. His hand was steady as he whipped through the group, offering the blade at every ounce of exposed skin he could see. On a few occasions he had to settle with plunging it into someone's chest or stomach, given a few had collars which concealed their throats. 

Much to his relief, the eighth member he came across was wielding a slightly larger dagger, and Changbin took it with a grateful whistle as he felt his inner countdown drawing to a close. 

_Five._

He made quick work of the rest of the group with the assistance of his new weapon, letting the pocket knife drop dejectedly onto the blood-splattered floor. His movements were fluid and confident, and his face remained impassive despite the grueling sensation of lives being taken by his hand. 

After the first few years, he had grown numb to the prospect of killing. For some months he had utterly despised himself and his powers for what he could do with them, even when Chan told him repeatedly that the people they were fighting were evil. He simply couldn't shake the knowledge that every person who fell at his hand would usually have at least a second in which they were suspended in his timeless hold, unable to move and do anything to try and grasp onto the remnants of their life which would slip from them the moment his five seconds of control came to an end. 

He'd run out of time, and there was still one man left to go, leaning over the dimly-lit desk in the far corner. 

As time restarted, the little trailer rocked with the force of fourteen bodies falling to its floor. Changbin stumbled with it, but was quick to regain his footing and drive the dagger through the chest of the final enemy as he whipped around. 

With an agonised yell, the man fell to the floor to join his gang members, and Changbin retracted his weapon without sparing the inside of the trailer a second glance.

He still had quite a bit of work to do, and the limited lighting was quite a hindrance. Wrinkling his nose at the pungent scent of blood, Changbin picked his way through the motionless forms that now littered the trailer. They all appeared to be dead, fortunately, but he kept a cautious hold of his weapon just in case one of them was pretending and he was forced to defend himself. Either way, he wasn't willing to let his guard down just yet.

A light switch was situated on the wall adjacent to the door, and Changbin flicked it on, leaving a red mark on it from his blood-soaked gloves. His face scrunched up in dissatisfaction as the trailer was lit up, the single lamp hanging from its ceiling blinking into life. 

Changbin didn't take much interest in the interior of the trailer itself, as he was a little preoccupied with the massacre his fight had left behind. There was barely an inch of floor which wasn't covered by a corpse, and he was certain that the carpet beneath them had been permanently stained with their blood. Mentally apologising to whoever owned the trailer, and would be unfortunate enough to discover his mess, he stepped forwards and bent down to begin going through their pockets, taking back any items that they had managed to scavenge before he arrived. 

Just as he was rolling over the first body, however, his earpiece resonated with a familiar voice.

" _Bin, everything alright over there?_ "

Chan. Jeongin must have unmuted their channels as they had split from the crowd, Changbin realised, although he could still hear the crackling of flames from Chan's ends. It also seemed Chan had been close enough to be caught in the reach of Changbin's powers, if he had been able to tell when time had both stopped and restarted. 

"Yeah, all good," Changbin said after a slight pause, in which he took off one of his gloves so that he could press a clean finger to his earpiece. He didn't really want to make a mess of it. "They've been dealt with, and from the looks of things they didn't get too far before I arrived, so the cleanup shouldn't take too long. Jinnie was right - they only had knives." 

He heard a light static, followed by Jeongin asking something to Chan, but his attention was captured by movement from the other end of the trailer. Changbin paused as he rummaged through the inside pocket of the first member he had taken out, his gaze rising and gloved hand retracting to rest on the hilt of the dagger he had beside him. 

Everything was eerily quiet, the only movement being the occasional flicker of the lamp on the desk, before a low groan sounded through the trailer. Changbin would have missed it if he hadn't been on alert, and already intently focused in the direction of the noise. 

His eyes zeroed in on the final man he had dealt with, who had slid down to rest against the wall opposite the desk. His eyes were closed, but as Changbin squinted it became clear that he hadn't passed on as quickly as his associates had. A hand rested on a wounded chest, and Changbin could see a liquid shining the jacket, presumably blood still seeping out from the injury. 

It seemed that in his rush he hadn't placed his hit as accurately as he could have. 

Feeling a small ounce of pity twist in his chest, Changbin rose slowly to his feet and began to pick his way through the bodies in the man's direction. While Changbin knew they were the enemy, he could somewhat understand what compelled people to steal - having had to do a fair share himself - and figured that he could end the other's pain quicker.

As more blood soaked the floor, the grip his shoes had grew a little more slippery, and he grimaced as he struggled to keep his balance. 

After a painfully long few seconds, he found himself standing above his final victim. The person on the floor appeared to sense Changbin's gaze on him through the pain, as he shakily raised his head, his eyes visibly flickering open through the two holes which had been carved into his mask. 

And as he looked up at Changbin, his pupils flashed with recognition. Not fear or desperation, as one would have expected, but _recognition._

For the first time since stepping into the trailer, Changbin felt fear chill his heart, but he found himself unable to look away from the dying form in front of him. 

"It... It's you..." The man's voice was hoarse, but his eyes were defiantly strong as they surveyed Changbin's face from behind his mask. His hand lifted from his side, and a bloodied finger pointed to something opposite him, but his gaze never wandered from Changbin. "What are you...?" 

Then his hand dropped to his side, and the wide eyes staring out at Changbin fluttered closed. Changbin tried to calm his breathing, attempting to reassure himself that the man was dead, and his reaction was merely one out of shock at witnessing what Changbin had just shown with the use of his abilities. 

Yet Changbin couldn't shake the sudden sense of dread which clung to his shoulders, and couldn't pass it off as exhaustion having only used his powers once. The look in the man's eyes had just been a little too personal, and he had stared at Changbin not with terror, but with some sort of realisation. 

Changbin turned slowly, trying to picture in his mind where the man had been pointing just before his death. There wasn't much on the other side of the trailer, sparing a small cupboard and the desk. 

The desk, which the man had been leaning over when Changbin walked in.

" _So everyone's beginning to get back to their cars; we can hear them,_ " Jeongin's voice came through the earpiece. " _Channie, I think you can bring the fire down now. How much longer will you need in the trailer, Bin?_ " 

"Um..." Changbin cleared his throat as he picked up on the shakiness of his tone, pressing a trembling finger to the earpiece as he stepped towards the desk and peered down at it, having noticed a lone piece of paper resting in the center of it. He was shivering, why was he shivering? "I don't need that long... Maybe three more minutes, since I'm sure the police will search the bodies after this and find anything they took. I just need to-" 

His breath came to a stuttering halt, and the dagger fell from his hands to clatter onto the floor. He couldn't do anything but stare down in horror at the desk, his eyes drawn straight to the paper which occupied it. 

He'd wanted to believe that he was stronger, but as soon as he caught sight of his own face on the parchment, any essence of courage left him with a measly whimper. The picture which had been printed and stuck to the desk was achingly familiar, and merely looking at it brought the emotions of the moment it had been taken back to him. 

The photo was entirely black and white and slightly out of focus, captured by a cheap security camera in a run-down convenience store. Yet despite the low quality, the main focus of the image was very clearly Changbin, and he no longer had to question how the gang member had recognised him. While his cheeks looked thinner in the picture, and his eyes were widened both in fear and youthfulness, Changbin was painfully aware that it was him. He could remember exactly how it had felt to be so young, lost and alone, and could also perfectly recall the moment it had been taken. 

If the camera had been at a slightly different angle, it would have caught Chan as he tried to convince Changbin to join him. The photo had been taken from their first meeting, and Changbin's initial recruitment into JYP. 

Changbin was so caught up in the memories attached to the image that he almost missed the words which had been scrawled into the top right hand corner of it. With his eyes narrowed both in nervousness and suspicion, he leaned further over the image and read what they said. 

_'You will-'_

A strangled cry made its way past his lips, and his instincts immediately drew him away from the desk and the image contained on it. He stumbled backwards, tripping up on a body as he went, sending himself careening into the wall behind him. Despite the pain which shot through him at the impact, he couldn't tear his eyes away from the photo, despite how much he wished to be rid of it. He just couldn't bring himself to move. 

" _Changbin, what's happening over there?_ " Jeongin’s urgent voice came through the earpiece, and Changbin's breathing quickened at the sound of it. 

He didn't know what to do- with the simple sight of that photograph and the words which he tried desperately to forget, Changbin felt as though he had lost every ounce of confidence both in himself and their safety. He couldn't explain what had made him so shaken, but he was certain of one thing: he couldn't let any of the younger members of their group see him in such a state. Yet he still couldn't find the strength or courage to move from where he had come to lean heavily against the wall, and so did the only thing he could think of. 

His hand was now shaking almost uncontrollably as he raised it to press against the earpiece, and he pressed down hard enough that it drilled a pain into his skull. 

"Chan?" His lips felt like they were moving on their own, and he just managed to whimper the older's name before his throat decided to close in on itself and he almost choked on his own laboured breathing. 

" _I'm on my way,_ " Chan's response was immediate, his voice clear despite its sudden panicked undertone. It just managed to calm Changbin enough that he found the strength to reach up and tear his earpiece from its position, not wishing for the others to hear whatever was about to be discussed, or the dry sobs that felt ready to tear themselves from his chest. He shoved the small device forcefully into his pocket.

Changbin's legs wobbled precariously, but he was just able to keep himself standing with the help of the wall behind him. Everything suddenly just felt a little too overwhelming: the stench of blood made him want to throw up; the blinking desk-lamp seemed to coax his heartbeat into an uneven rhythm along with it; and he felt as though every sightless gaze of the corpses surrounding him was a camera peering into his mind. 

He wasn't sure how long it took Chan to arrive - it was either ten seconds or ten hours, and while he guessed it was closer to the former he could have cried from relief when a familiar figure stormed into the trailer. 

Chan's eyes had an almost feral glint to them as they took in the body-littered floor, his dark gaze flitting emotionlessly over the limp forms, until they finally came to land on Changbin. His intense stare, which had been doing nothing to quell the rapid beating of Changbin's heart, softened as soon as it landed on the smaller's trembling form. Changbin realised mutely that Chan's entire right arm was on fire, and he seemed to have stepped into the trailer prepared for a fight. The flame was extinguished within seconds though, as Chan observed that there wasn't any immediate physical danger, and began picking his way through the corpses with the same level of precision Changbin had just minutes before. 

Chan paused in the center of the trailer, hesitating mid-step as he winced and reached a hand up to press against his earpiece. Over the roaring of blood in his ears, Changbin could just about hear a few voices resonating from the device, and grimaced himself as he realised how concerning his sudden disconnection would have been. That wasn't what he had been going for at all; he simply didn't want them to hear the discussion he was going to have with Chan regarding the paper. 

"Yeah, yeah, I've found him," Chan's tone was weary as he continued his journey, his eyes not leaving Changbin as he picked his route. "He's fine- and yes Seung, there are fifteen bodies here so please try to calm Hyunjin down now." 

Chan finally made his way over, stepping over the final body with a quiet glance of sadness. With his presence so close, Changbin could already feel his pulse steadying, and his breathing calmed to a rate that could more or less be viewed as normal. 

He averted his eyes to the blood-stained floor, not wanting to see Chan's expression just yet. It had been a while since he had lost his cool on a mission in such a way, and especially as they had others to worry about, Changbin frankly felt quite humiliated. For the moment, however, his panic was still slightly too controlling for him to feel as much regret as he knew he would later. 

"The others..." His voice was hoarse, and Chan took a careful step closer. "Are they alright? What were you talking to Seungmin about?" 

Chan sighed, and while Changbin still refused to look up he could feel the concerned gaze that he was being fixated beneath. 

"They're fine. Worried, because you gave us a bit of a scare, but fine." The older's words caused Changbin's first real pang of shame, and if he could lower his head any further he would have done. Unfortunately though Chan wasn't finished just yet, and continued in the same grave tone, "When you stopped responding, Hyunjin thought he might have miscounted, and you'd been caught off guard by the sixteenth member he feared he hadn't seen." 

Changbin squeezed his eyes shut as a bitter taste filled his mouth. He'd just been mentally congratulating Hyunjin for his accuracy before it had all gone to hell, and acknowledged how happy the younger would be, given the insecurities he had even confessed to Changbin before. Yet because Changbin had let his fear get to him - a fear that he should have buried years ago - he may have destroyed the chance of Hyunjin feeling more confident with his abilities. 

When he didn't respond, Chan took another step closer, and while he didn't reach out to touch Changbin his mere presence perhaps was more comforting than any hug could have been. 

"What happened, Bin?" 

Part of Changbin just wanted to open his mouth and shout every panicked thought which had raced through his mouth upon seeing the photo, but he didn't. Instead, he simply raised his hand and pointed towards the desk in a manner that was eerily similar to that of the man just before he had died, presumably from the blood loss caused by Changbin stabbing him in the chest. And now Changbin didn't feel much better.

Chan paused for a moment before turning, and Changbin watched as his feet made their way over to the desk. Only once Chan's back was turned did Changbin dare raise his head, letting his arm drop down to his side as the strength seemed to leave his limbs. 

He watched carefully for Chan's reaction as the older leant over the desk, peering down at the piece of paper which rested on it. He couldn't see Chan's expression from where he stood, but he could tell the exact moment Chan read and processed the words in the corner. Chan's shoulders tensed for a second, before wordlessly he reached out, and moments later the familiar scent of burning paper filled the small trailer. 

When Chan turned, he had a carefully blank look on his face, but Changbin knew that he was more shaken by it than he was letting on. His eyebrows were furrowed slightly, and there was a nervous twitch to his right hand as he stepped back in Changbin's direction. The picture was also reduced to a glowing pile of embers behind him, a clear indicator of what he thought about the subtle threat. 

_'You will run-'_

Changbin shook his head forcefully to try and cut off the thought as it came, desperate not to reiterate what he had seen on the paper. 

"Changbin?" 

It had been so long since Chan had called him by his name instead of a shortened version, and Changbin found himself glancing up to meet the older's searching gaze purely out of surprise. 

Chan was giving Changbin one of his typical 'Chan-looks,' as Jisung liked to call them, in which his eyes were warm yet saddened with understanding and concern. His lips were twisted up into a subtle smile, but he didn't really look happy, and usually made its receiver five times more emotional than they originally had been. Changbin had been gifted many 'Chan-looks' throughout their time together, but on occasion, when he really did need them, instead of feeling like a burden he would simply break down. 

And that was exactly what he did. 

The final ounce of strength which had been holding Changbin up decided to leave him at that moment, but fortunately Chan had already been reaching forwards to bring him into an embrace. The older wasted no time in bringing one hand around Changbin's waist to secure him, and the other to gently nudge his head down onto Chan's waiting shoulder. Changbin collapsed into Chan's hold, wrapping both of his arms around Chan's neck and letting out a sigh that shook his entire body. 

Chan's grip was firm and comforting, and for an extremely rare moment Changbin found himself relieved that he was shorter, as it meant he was entirely shielded in the position he was in. Part of him felt a flicker of guilt that Chan was effectively holding his entire weight, but that vanished a moment later when soothing fingers carded their way through Changbin's hair, silencing any thoughts which still threatened to consume him. 

"We're gonna be alright, Bin..." Chan said softly, his voice filling the empty silence of the trailer. "We're all gonna be alright. We'll figure out what's happening, and we'll be fine." 

"But someone knows!" Changbin whispered into Chan's shoulder, his hands desperately grasping the shirt of his friend. "And they knew we were going to be here... They knew about me before I went to JYP, so that means they might know about the others too! They might know so much, and-"

"They're not going to hurt us," Chan interrupted sternly, though his arms around Changbin were still gentle and coaxing. "Whatever happens, they're not going to hurt any of you; I won't let them. Nobody is going to control us, or make us feel fear again Bin, I swear. We're free now, and we're in control of our own lives. We won't live afraid of anything or anyone else, especially someone who would leave such cowardly notes behind. I mean, couldn't they just have faced you themselves? Maybe they're scared, given how you messed up all of these guys." 

Chan nudged one of the bodies with his foot, and despite the darkness of his words, Changbin couldn't help but let out a small breath of laughter. He still felt extremely shaken, but the warmth of Chan's body was both grounding and strengthening. Gradually his legs were feeling more prepared to support him by themselves, and the sight of the item which had caused him so much distress, now burnt and destroyed by Chan's doing, reminded him that he wasn't alone. He hadn't been alone for a very, very long time. 

As if to support that thought, a quiet static came from Chan's earpiece, followed by the muffled sound of Jeongin's voice. Changbin couldn't make out what the younger was saying, but soon after the message was received, Chan nodded and began to pull back from the hug. While the sudden lack of contact was a little jarring, Changbin managed to contain his whine of complaint as he did his best to blink himself back into awareness. 

"That was Innie, letting us know that emergency services are starting to arrive," Chan explained, taking a final glance around at the interior of the trailer. His words didn't come as a surprise to Changbin, but they did well to further clear his thoughts, pushing his worries and panic to the back of his mind. "We need to get out of here." 

Changbin took in a shaky breath, taking off his remaining glove. He wouldn't be touching anything else in the trailer, and he just wanted to be rid of everything that reminded him of the evening - including his accessories. Yet despite his desperation to put distance between himself and the area, he couldn't help but send a searching look around the trailer, suddenly fretting that there might be something else which he had missed, such as another photo, or- 

A warm hand firmly enclosed Changbin's smaller one in its hold, and Chan began tugging them both towards the exit. His face was set into a determined frown, and Changbin found himself helplessly staggering behind his friend as they drew closer to the door which led out into the clearing. 

Changbin didn't look back as they stepped out into the night. 

Chan had completely extinguished his fire, meaning the air temperature was significantly colder than it had been before, and an involuntary shiver shook Changbin's body. He wasn't sure if it was because of the chilling breeze, or how he could barely see two meters in front of him through the darkness. 

He wasn't sure where Chan was leading him, but discovered that he was too mentally exhausted to care. Faintly, he realised that they were diverting around the main area, presumably to keep away from any emergency workers who were beginning to investigate what had happened. Changbin swallowed heavily as he guessed they would come across the massacre he had left behind soon, but was thankful that Chan had disposed of the photo. He didn't know what he would do if he was being searched for again, and acknowledged that part of his panic must have been stemmed from the memory of that feeling: the suffocating sensation of being hunted down. 

"What do you want to tell the others?" Chan asked into the silence, and Changbin felt the ground begin to slant upwards beneath his feet, indicating they were leaving the clearing. 

"I... I’m not sure," Changbin responded after a moment of hesitation. Chan's grip on his hand tightened comfortingly, and Changbin felt the older's thumb run over his palm. "Should they know?"

"Would you like them to?"

Changbin paused once again, the words dying in his throat as their ascent came to an end. The car park stretched out in front of them, looking a little different to the last time he had seen it. Quite a few of the vehicles had gone, to be replaced by ambulances and fire engines, along with the odd police car which Changbin quickly glanced away from. He was sure that the paramedics and firefighters would both be quite relieved to find nobody injured and the inferno already gone, but the police would have a slightly larger problem on their hands. 

All the more reason to get out as fast as they could. 

"Can we just... wait for a bit? I need to think about it," Changbin mumbled as Chan began to lead them towards the van. He didn't feel prepared to face the others, given his uncharacteristic loss of composure, but he didn't have a choice. He knew that later on in the night, once he was alone, he would have time to think over what happened himself and decide what to do from there, but for the moment he would have to do his best to distract himself. Or, at the very least, conceal his inner turmoil. 

Chan glanced down at Changbin for a moment, before he nodded understandingly. They reached the van and finally let their hands fall apart; Chan stepped towards the driver's seat while Changbin made his way to the rear. After taking one final, steadying breath, Changbin pushed himself forwards and swung open one of the back doors. 

A complete silence washed over Changbin as he stepped inside. He hunched his shoulders as he closed the door, making sure to do so without too much noise, and was swallowed into the darkness of the van. Immediately the voices and sirens - which had already sounded far away to him - were cut off, and he was left in an eerie quiet. Changbin inhaled again, letting his hand fall from the door handle to rest limply at his side, and bent his head with an echoing sigh as he finally felt enclosed from the rest of the world. 

For roughly a second, Changbin stood wordlessly. He didn't want to turn and look at the others, even though he doubted he would be able to see them too well with the lack of lighting. 

Then, he felt a pair of arms wrap their way around him from behind. He hadn't heard anyone stand or move closer to him, but perhaps his ears were still refusing to cooperate and pick up on all of the sounds they should. Either way, the person hugged him with such force that Changbin found it hard to breathe, or that could have just been down to the emotion which threatened to block every vessel in his body. His hugger sniffed, and a moment later Changbin felt the soft pressure of a nose rubbing against his neck. 

"Binnie... What happened? Are you alright?" Jeongin's voice came from a little further back in the van, presumably from either the blanket-pile or his setup of computers. 

Changbin cleared his throat and tried to shuffle his feet so that he was no longer facing the doors, but with Jisung seemingly-permanently attached to his back, the movement was a lot harder than he expected. He just managed to maneuver one hand out of Jisung's hold, reaching into his pocket to take out his earpiece, and began to stagger in the direction of the cases. 

"I'm fine, there was just uh..." Changbin's words faltered, and he just managed to throw the listening device into one of the cases without disturbing Jisung too much. He hadn't actually thought about what he would say, and needed an excuse that seemed valid enough to have caused him such distress in the moment. "I thought I recognised one of the gang members in the trailer. It caught me off-guard." 

He straightened, subsequently causing Jisung to tighten his already iron-like grip on his waist. It would have been amusing to Changbin - how the younger was clinging onto him in a fashion that reminded him of a koala - but Jisung's subdued sniffing and the very faint tremour in his hands eradicated any humour which Changbin could have found. He didn't think that he would have been able to laugh, or even smile properly, in any case. 

After shooting a quick glance in the direction of the two front seats, where Chan was talking quietly with Hyunjin, Changbin began to make his way over to the mound of blankets where Seungmin and Jeongin were residing. Jisung's continued embrace made it rather difficult to move, but Changbin already felt stiff enough that he wouldn't have been the epitome of grace even without the added weight. 

Two pairs of wide, searching eyes regarded him as he approached. Seungmin's gaze was the one Changbin was most aware of, as it shone with an observant intensity as it travelled across every inch of Changbin's body, as if searching for any injuries or other signs conveying more of a struggle had occurred. Jeongin, on the other hand, seemed entirely focused on Changbin's face - causing the older to feel more than a little embarrassed - though his scrutiny was equally as careful as Seungmin's. They were both a lot more subtle than Jisung, but their concern was obvious, and an uncomfortable feeling settled in Changbin's heart at the thought of it. 

"Come on, Sung," Changbin huffed as he brought them both to a halt just beside the blankets. Seungmin and Jeongin had left them both quite a collection, settling for sharing a single one themselves. "I'm sure we all want to get the hell out of here, and Channie can't drive unless we're both sitting down." 

A small, shaky whine left Jisung's mouth, though he didn't actively protest as Changbin worked to pry them apart. He only seemed content when Changbin intertwined their fingers and guided him to the floor, where he immediately latched onto the smaller's body in a similarly desperate manner. 

Chan must have been watching out for once they were all reasonably settled, because as soon as Changbin and Jisung had sat down, the van spurred into motion. Jeongin leaned over and threw one of the blankets onto Changbin's lap, which Changbin brought up with a steady hand to wrap around Jisung's shoulders. Whether Jisung was doing it intentionally, his clinginess was helping to distract Changbin from what had just occurred, and Changbin felt grateful towards the younger. He needed something else to focus on, and it was a bonus if that something was caring for another person, as it consoled Changbin when he feared he had caused worry among the group. 

Changbin couldn't help but hold his breath as Chan drove them from the site; the concern of being tracked down and caught was still fresh in his mind. Fortunately their van was never stopped, and as the bumpiness of the gravelly rural road transformed into the sleeker texture of concrete, he finally allowed himself to relax. 

He let his head lean back onto the wall behind him, savouring the grounding hardness of it. He could feel Jisung's chest brushing against his shoulder with every rise and fall of breath, although there was still a franticness to how the he had entangled himself with Changbin, and his uncharacteristic silence was beginning to grow concerning. 

"So, how did things go back here?" Changbin inquired, eager to end the subdued quiet which he knew had indirectly been created by him. 

"They went alright!" Jeongin was the only one to speak again, and while Seungmin's soundlessness was a little less unnerving than Jisung's, Changbin still didn't feel great about it. "Jisung did a really good job, and I didn't have any problem with the sound or lighting systems. It was a nuisance that I had to have you and Channie muted most of the time, but I think it was necessary for the sake of all our ears." 

A small smile tugged at Changbin's lips as he recalled the concert, before it had all come to its sudden standstill. He had momentarily forgotten how it all had felt, given what had happened, but at Jeongin's words the memories came back to him. 

He remembered venturing through the stalls with Chan, laughing occasionally at some odd-looking plushies that one had to offer, and competitively challenging each other to some games. However, the true joy of the evening had come once the live performances began, and even though only several songs were played before Jeongin and Jisung’s interference, Changbin cherished every one of them. 

When he and Chan used to listen to the limited CDs they could scavenge, they'd been forced to keep the volume and their own voices relatively low so as not to disturb any other of JYP's trainees. Once they'd moved into the bunker, they would often have sessions with Jisung where they would simply put a radio on and listen to music, and had even requested that Jeongin logged them into some top apps which gave them access to even more songs. 

But Changbin never could have anticipated just how thrilling it would be to hear music performed live. It was as if the beat had been drilling itself into his very soul with its volume; every time the chorus kicked in he would get goosebumps. The experience had been utterly enchanting while it had lasted, and Changbin had undeniably felt drawn to the environment in a way that he never could have foreseen. There was something about the raw power of the music, and the bewitched crowd which danced and mouthed along to the lyrics, which was unforgettable to him. 

Changbin's thoughts were brought back to the present as he sensed Jisung's grip on him loosening. At first he thought that the younger might be retracting himself - which disappointed Changbin a little more than he wanted to admit - but soon realised that it was quite the opposite. 

Jisung had somehow managed to fall asleep, which made Changbin feel both relieved and envious, as he doubted his thoughts would be quiet enough for him to rest. He was tired, having not slept at all on the way there, but was afraid of closing his eyes. Either Jisung wasn't quite as shaken as he appeared, or he was extremely exhausted, and something made Changbin believe it was the latter option. 

Carefully, so as not to wake the other, Changbin wormed his hand out of their tangled bodies so he could pull the blanket up to Jisung's chin. Jisung had managed to doze off in a position that hardly seemed comfortable, with his face resting somewhere between Changbin's shoulder and chest, and his arms thrown around the older's neck. His face was calmer than Changbin had seen it that evening, though, and the tear-tracks on his face had long since dried, so Changbin decided that the arrangement wasn't too bad. 

Content with his designated role as a pillow for the rest of the journey, Changbin diverted his gaze from Jisung to the wall of the van opposite him. The cases had been stacked together carelessly once again, and he realised with an ounce of regret that he had put his earpiece into the wrong one in his haste. It meant Jeongin would have a little more to do once they got back to the bunker, but when Changbin glanced to his left to apologise, he found that Jeongin was also fast asleep and decided against disturbing him. 

Despite the comfort of Jisung's closeness: his slow breathing, steady heartbeat and soothing warmth, Changbin felt his thoughts returning to the unwelcome memories of what he had seen in the trailer. He was torn between being unsure about why it bothered him so much, and feeling as though it was a bigger threat than it seemed. 

While it had clearly been meant to be discovered by him, the fact that the person behind it knew he was going to be in that trailer specifically on that very night, was unnerving enough. It also made Changbin worry that whoever it was knew about the other members of their group, or at the very least, Chan. Seeing as Chan and Changbin had scarcely left each others' sides for years, if someone knew such details about Changbin, he guessed that they were equally aware of Chan. Perhaps there had been a similar poster, designed for his blond friend, hidden in one of the stalls and intended to be found by him. 

Changbin could still picture exactly what his message had read. 

_'You will run out of-'_

"Bin?" Seungmin's voice was astonishingly calm. Changbin clung to it desperately, refraining from mentally completing the sentence, and turned his head in the younger's direction. 

It was quite hard to see Seungmin, given the low-lighting of the van and Jeongin sitting in between them, but Changbin could feel the steady sharpness of his gaze. Changbin blinked to try and adjust his eyes to the darkness, and could just about make out Seungmin's silhouette, though his expression was masked. 

When he spoke next, his words and tone were as comforting as if he had smiled his brightest. 

"We'll be alright." 

Changbin's mind immediately travelled back to the journey they had made to the festival, where he had murmured the exact same into the tense quiet of the van. He wasn't sure if Seungmin had even been awake to hear his words, but judging by the meaningful way in which they had just been repeated, they had meant a lot more to Seungmin than Changbin had initially realised. 

He didn't respond, much as Seungmin hadn't when their roles had been reversed, but he was sure that his appreciation was clear. Instead, he turned back to face the wall, and heard a light shuffling as Seungmin got himself into a more comfortable position. 

The rest of the journey was spent in silence. Chan hadn't put on the radio in the front, and given Jisung wasn't awake to ask for it, the audio in the vehicle remained off. Changbin didn't mind too much - he still had the songs from the festival echoing around in the back of his mind - and they were more than welcome as they helped to distract him. 

He didn't try to get any sleep, and instead concentrated on grounding himself with little details contained in his surroundings. He focused on the weight of Jisung leaning against him, and the methodical rocking of the van whenever it went over a small bump in the road, or Chan made a turn. The wall across from him was boring and near-impossible to see in the darkness, but he still tried to focus his attention on internally pointing out tiny scratches in the paint. 

Every ten minutes or so, he became aware of Hyunjin looking at him. It was a little confusing, given Hyunjin had to completely turn himself around in his seat and peek over the top of his chair to get a glimpse into the back, meaning he wasn't being discreet at all. Yet whenever Changbin raised his gaze to meet that of the other, Hyunjin would whip around and hide himself before Changbin could make eye-contact, let alone ask what Hyunjin was doing. 

'When you stopped responding, Hyunjin thought he might have miscounted.' Changbin recalled what Chan had said back in the trailer, and felt another pang of guilt. He recognised that he would have to talk to Hyunjin, simply to reassure the taller than nothing that had happened had been his fault, but also knew that their current environment wasn't the best for it. He promised himself to do so at the first chance he, whenever they were alone next.

So, Changbin instead resigned his stare onto the wall once again, no longer bothering to look up whenever he sensed Hyunjin turning in his seat. He tried to ignore how Hyunjin's eyes, always so observant and alert, would linger on him for a couple more seconds every time.

The return trip was shorter than the journey there, presumably because the time was beginning to approach that of the early hours of the morning, and the roads were quieter. Changbin felt both relief and apprehension wash over him when the van began to shake upon the uneven gravel-track which led to the bunker. He was desperate to get inside, where he knew they were truly safe, but also felt nervous to do so for a reason he couldn't quite explain. 

He'd been nothing but jittery for the past few hours, really, and realised that he would have to do something to burn off the tension which clung to his limbs. 

Jeongin and Seungmin began to stir as they pulled into the garage; the sudden bright light filtered into the back of the van and acted a bit like an alarm. It didn't have quite the same effect on Jisung, and Changbin hesitated for a moment before nudging the younger off of his shoulder. Jisung responded with a whine of protest as his arms tightened around Changbin, who let out a small huff of amusement. 

"We're back home, Sungie. It's time to get up, but you can sleep soon." 

Changbin watched fondly as Jisung blinked his eyes open, his vulnerable gaze travelling from Changbin's face to the inside of the van around them. There was a sound from the front as Chan stepped out and swung his door shut behind him, Hyunjin doing the same moments after. Jeongin stretched out his arms on Changbin's other side, and Seungmin staggered to his feet with a relatable lethargy as he stumbled forwards to open the back doors. 

With the light now streaming in at full-force, Jisung seemed to wake a little faster. He slowly removed his head from Changbin's shoulder and threaded his arms from the older's neck, instead moving to give a full-bodied stretch as he yawned. At least he appeared to be reasonably well-rested, though Changbin guessed that they would all spend quite a portion of the coming days sleeping away the fatigue which that night had brought. 

"I'm hungry," Jisung muttered, speaking his first words to Changbin since he had first latched himself onto the other hours before. Changbin couldn't prevent the smirk which rose to his lips, both from relief and amusement that Jisung was finally talking again, and was returning to his usual character. 

"Yeah, and we'll get something to eat soon too," Changbin reassured him, watching from the floor as Jisung rose to his feet. He could just about imagine how emotional the evening had been, and felt glad that he hadn't decided to immediately be truthful about what had really happened in the trailer. It would only make Jisung more scared, and that was the last thing Changbin wanted. 

Jisung's gaze lingered on Changbin for a moment, before he stepped out of the van's back doors which Seungmin had left open. There was still a vulnerability in his eyes which reminded Changbin of just how shaken he had been, but at least he didn't look quite as immobile as before. The promise of food seemed to propel him forwards, too. 

Changbin was about to get up as well, keen to keep himself moving and distracted from his thoughts, when he noticed Jeongin crouched on the other side of the vehicle. The younger was in the process of gathering the cases together, and Changbin noticed with a flicker of guilt that he was fumbling with the earpiece Changbin had carelessly thrown into the wrong container just before they had left the festival. 

Deciding that helping Jeongin carry the cases would make up for it a bit, Changbin shuffled over to his friend's side and held out a hand in offering. Jeongin glanced at him for a moment, then gave a small smile which warmed Changbin's heart and handed over two of the cases holding computers. 

"Sorry about the earpiece, Innie," Changbin said, adjusting his grip on the handles of the cases to make their transportation easier. 

"It's fine; you had a clingy Jisung to deal with so I don't blame you," Jeongin responded with airiness, his grin turning mischievous as he glanced in the direction of the doors which Jisung had just exited from. Changbin chuckled and straightened up, sparing Jeongin a quick glance to ensure that he was alright with carrying the rest. Changbin was just about to step out of the back when Jeongin spoke again, his voice far softer than it had been moments before. "Can I ask you something, Bin?" 

Changbin turned, raising his eyebrows in slight surprise at Jeongin's question. He was quick to confirm, "Of course." 

"Um... You know you can tell me anything, right?" Jeongin murmured tacitly, his large eyes blinking earnestly up at Changbin. When Changbin faltered, feeling a twinge of uncertainty, Jeongin elaborated with haste. "It's just- I know that you probably don't want to talk about what happened tonight, seeing as you lied about it, but if you ever do want to say anything then please know I'd be happy to listen?" 

Jeongin's gaze was so open, as if he really didn't see the oddity of what he had said, while Changbin had almost dropped the cases in shock. 

"How did you know I was lying?" Changbin finally managed to ask, feeling panic begin to build in his chest. He hadn't wanted anyone - other than Chan - to know the significance of the occurrences, and if it had been obvious that he'd lied then it would just suggest there was even more to worry about than there was. 

Jeongin cocked his head inquisitively in response, and he gave a little shrug of his shoulders before he replied. "You told us that you recognised one of them, but Jinnie said they were all wearing masks. How could you recognise someone if their face was covered?" 

Changbin's mouth dropped open in realisation and shock, but he did feel thankful that Jeongin had figured out his lie due to an inaccuracy, as opposed to his inability to lie. He was sure Jisung hadn't been coherent enough to pick up on it, and Seungmin hadn't mentioned anything, so hopefully he had otherwise gotten away with it. As for Hyunjin... Well, Changbin was due a conversation with him anyway. 

Feeling a rueful smile work its way onto his lips, Changbin turned back towards the door, attempting to hide his discomfort with amusement. The fleeting security he had felt in the van pressed against Jisung had disappeared with Jeongin's words, which while were well-intentioned reminded him once again of why he had to lie in the first place. 

"You know, as the older one, it should be me saying things like that to you," Changbin commented, stepping out of the van and into the bright lighting of the garage. 

Jeongin was quick to follow him, staggering slightly beneath the weight of the computer case, earpieces and refreshments they had packed. "I wish you guys would stop saying that. I could take care of you all single-handedly."

"Just let us pamper you a little bit, please." 

"I second that," Chan spoke up, flashing the pair a humoured grin from where he leant against the back of the van. He moved forwards to slam the doors closed and locked the vehicle, then took the box of earpieces from Jeongin to lessen his load. "I sent the others down to start getting us something to eat, but thought you guys might want some help." 

It was touching to think that Chan was trusting enough to allow members of their group in the kitchen without him, Changbin thought, even if he was a little bitter that Chan still didn't allow him to cook alone. Seungmin had only increased Chan's lack of confidence in Changbin's cooking skills by reiterating the unwashed pot story, so Changbin had eventually resigned himself to being in charge of the dishes, as opposed to the preparing. 

Chan led the way over to the exit of the garage, once again being the one to close the door behind them once they had all stepped through its opening. Changbin tried to ignore the incoming fear which quickened his heartbeat as they made their way towards the lift, deafening himself to the quiet conversation Chan and Jeongin had struck up. 

The dark, familiar atmosphere of the van had filled Changbin with a comforting sense of security, while stepping out into the open space of the garage was refreshing. However, as they entered the lift and Chan swiped his card to initiate their descent, Changbin could only feel a looming sense of dread. 

It wasn't that he didn't feel comfortable in their new home, but rather the opposite. He couldn't remember when he had ever felt so content in a place before - especially given the high tensions filling every room at JYP's headquarters - and to think that there was a chance of danger in their underground bunker was almost unbearable to him. Undeniably someone knew about his past, and they had also known exactly what he was going to do. Despite everything, he still wasn't truly safe; he wasn't truly in control, yet again. 

An enticing scent hit the trio as soon as the lift came to a stop, presumably due to the other three who were busying themselves in the kitchen area. They were preparing something quick, given the inhumane hour, but it both looked and smelled tasty. Unfortunately, Changbin only felt sick in response to it, and he realised that he wouldn't be able to eat a single thing that night. 

Trying to cool his expression, he followed Chan out of the lift and towards the kitchen. Jeongin made his way immediately over to the cabinets, where Seungmin began helping him unload the items in their snack and drinks box, while Chan carefully placed the container of earpieces onto the floor. Changbin did the same with the two cases he was carrying, and then began to pace quietly past the kitchen and living area, attempting to keep his movements as discreet and subtle as he could. 

Unfortunately, they did have a member with heightened senses, so his attempted sneaking was immediately picked up on. 

"Are you not going to eat anything, Binnie?" Hyunjin asked, causing Changbin to pause mid-step. He grimaced, then painted what he hoped was a carefree smile onto his face as he turned, clasping his hands innocently behind his back. 

"Yeah, I'm not really hungry. I can come back and do the dishes, if you want-"

"Oh, don't be silly," Seungmin scoffed, though there was amusement in his eyes as he made a shooing motion in Changbin's direction. "It won't kill us to do it for one night, I suppose."

While it was a simple dismissal, Changbin couldn't help but feel touched by it. His grin suddenly felt a lot less difficult to fake, and he found that he was smiling sincerely as he thanked the younger. He was aware of Chan and Jisung's gazes following him as he pivoted and hurried towards the branching hallways, trying to keep his steps steady and confident as he went. 

The conversation became muffled behind him, and he just about managed to ignore it as he came to a halt in the crossroad of corridors. Part of him was desperate to hide away in his shared room with Chan, have a shower to wash away the memories of the day, and then bury himself beneath his duvet. However, another, far more convincing part of him wanted to burn away some of his remaining jitteriness, and didn't feel safe to simply go to bed as if nothing had happened. He wasn't sure if he wanted to lie down by himself just yet either, given that the deafening loneliness would make it very easy for his troubled thoughts to finally take full control of his mind, as they had been trying to for the entire night so far. 

Making his decision, Changbin turned to the left. He could feel anticipation building in his muscles as he moved, now completely infatuated with the idea of letting some of his stress go in a physical manner. The tiredness which had threatened to overcome him in the van had now completely vanished to be replaced with an almost mind-controlling need to _move_ , and Changbin couldn't reach the gym fast enough. 

It was a fairly basic facility, with a few running machines, stationary bikes, ellipticals, a single rowing machine and a large selection of weights which Changbin had already acquainted himself with. 

The lights flickered on at his entrance, and he wasted no time in making his way into the room and surveying his options. He had already used all of the pieces of equipment before, and found benefits in each one of them. The bikes helped him find a rhythm and were useful whenever he needed some time to his thoughts, but given he didn't want to think at all, he quickly decided against using them. He always enjoyed working with the weights too, as it was a bit of an ego-booster for him, but he didn't feel content with that either. 

After several seconds of deliberation, his eyes landed on the running machines. 

He could remember once, within his first month of his training at JYP, he'd had a panic attack. They weren't unfamiliar to him, but given everything had been absolutely terrifying at that time, his youthful mind had simply decided they were something he could do nothing against. But when his trainer had found he suffered from them, he was hardened against them, seeing as they were very undesirable in a mission situation. He had been told that they were a sort of 'fight or flight' condition, in which he felt afraid and wanted to run, yet didn't move a muscle, causing his breath and heart rate to increase. He wasn't sure how accurate that was, but found his mind returning to it in that moment, as he surveyed one running machine in particular. 

It had felt a little hard to breathe, though not distressingly so, since he had seen that photo lying on the desk in the trailer. Changbin's legs pushed him forwards, his thoughts turning hopeful as he wondered whether he could be rid of that windedness if he didn't stay still, but allowed himself to run. If he really was afraid, perhaps that could help. 

Changbin stepped onto the belt of the machine and attached its clip to his shirt, his top lip curling in disgust as he recognised a dark liquid staining its front. He would have to wash it soon, though he guessed it might be permanently stained. 

With a quick tap, the belt spurred into motion, and Changbin raised the speed to the highest level he dared. He hadn't put any music on, as he had been doing every time he visited the bunker's gym so far, but doubted he could have heard anything over the constant whirring of the machine. It drilled into his mind as he ran, willing himself into an almost thoughtless movement. 

Much to his frustration, however, it didn't help at all. If anything, he only felt even more breathless, though he hadn't really expected the exercise to help much. Even though the thumping of his feet as he ran was deafening, his panting was even louder, and it did nothing to ease his agitation. 

Hissing out a curse, Changbin forcefully pressed his index finger onto the 'stop' button. The machine immediately did as it was asked, and the belt's motion slowed humiliatingly. Changbin bowed his head as his running gradually relaxed into a walk, resting his arms on either side of the running machine as he attempted to catch his breath. He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists, finding that at the very least, he didn't feel quite as fearful as he had when he had first stepped into the gym. 

Instead, he was _angry._ He was angry that he'd only got to hear seven songs at the festival, and that he hadn't been able to win Chan that rubber duck. He was angry that he had become numbed to killing, that he was more concerned about keeping blood from reaching his clothes than whether his victims had families. He was angry that someone had gone to such lengths just to get into his head, and most of all, he was angry that he allowed it to affect him so much.

Before Changbin could properly process what he was doing, he was stepping off the running machine and pacing over to a large cupboard which stood in the far corner of the room. He swung it open and stared up at the punching bags which were contained within it, taking just seconds to decide which one he would go for. After grabbing the bag and tugging it forcefully down from its hook, he bent down to pick up a pair of gloves from the small box resting at the bottom of the cupboard. 

He slammed the doors shut, channeling all of his frustration into his movements as he crossed over to where chains descended from the ceiling, dragging his bag along behind him with one arm. 

Seconds later, he had everything in position, and raised his glove-cladded fists in front of his face. 

It had been quite a while since he had trained in such a way, since his fighting technique had adapted to suit more weaponised methods as opposed to brute strength, but he could still remember almost all of the tips his instructor had told him. That didn't mean he paid any attention as he got to work though; he wasn't looking to train at all, merely to let off some steam. 

That was what he'd been trying to do ever since returning to the base, but to no avail. 

He wasn't sure how long he had been working, throwing punches almost robotically towards the bag which hung from the ceiling, when the ache began to seep into his limbs. It wasn't surprising - one of the first things he had been told about using punching bags was that failing to stretch beforehand often led to such pains. He didn't find himself caring much, as the throbbing at least managed to distract him from the agitated nausea which had been settled in his stomach for the past hours. 

Unfortunately didn't distract him from his thoughts, and he soon felt himself being tugged into them with the rhythmic movements of his body. 

The sight of the photograph had engrained itself in his memory, teasing and haunting him with no mercy. Yet more and more Changbin was loosing his initial fear of the picture and scrawled note itself, to be replaced by a worry about what it meant for the future rather than the present. 

Chan's question had been absent from his mind for a while, but as Changbin's consciousness returned to the final moments they had spent at the festival, he asked himself the same question the blond had. 'What do you want to tell the others?' Changbin was torn between two options: keep it a secret, or inform them. He knew that Chan wouldn't decide for him, but also wasn't entirely comfortable with being left alone to figure it out himself. 

Somehow, it felt like there was too much riding on it. 

Changbin's arms fell to his sides, and he watched as the bag slowed into stationary suspension. The ache had spread from his arms throughout his body, even reaching up to nag at his head, but he didn't do anything to relieve himself from the pain. Instead, he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ignore the dreadfully familiar sight of the photograph which attempted to paint itself onto the backs of his eyelids. 

_'You will run out of time-'_

_One._

Changbin's couldn't prevent the gasp which left him as the world grew uniquely quiet around him. He blinked his eyes open, hoping desperately that he was mistaken, but was met with the terrifying stillness which had possessed the entirety of the gym around him. 

_Two._

Dread already curling itself around his stomach, Changbin hung his head in defeat. It had been years since he'd initiated his abilities without his own intuition, and it was almost laughable that he had lost control at such a horrendously bad time. 

_Three._

One thing Changbin had never been able to do, despite JYP's best efforts, was monitor exactly how long he initiated his powers for. It was three seconds exactly, and when it rose to five, he did exactly five every time. Never had Changbin wished he could shorten it by his own will so much. 

_Four._

It had also been quite a while since he'd used his abilities in such quick succession, and waited in nervous anticipation for his countdown to finish. Fortunately the gym was fairly far away from the communal area, so he didn't think that any of the others would have been within his radius, but he was more concerned about someone coming to look for him, only to find him in whatever state he would be once the five seconds were up. 

"Ah..." Changbin groaned, grimacing as he waited in anticipation. 

_Five._

He must have blacked out, because the next thing he was aware of was the cold ground beneath his body and the bright light of the ceiling glaring down from directly above. There was a surreal haziness to everything: despite the quietness of the room he felt as though he could hear so much; the lights above him appeared significantly larger as they blurred together into one shining mass; and his body felt simultaneously heavy and weightless. 

Struggling to keep himself conscious, Changbin's half-lidded gaze drifted towards the wall. He could make out the circular form of the clock, but his vision was spinning too much for him to even try to guess what the time was. Although, seeing as he had woken to an empty gym, he realised dimly that it couldn't have been too long, if Chan hadn't come to see what Changbin had gotten up to when he didn't return to their shared room even as the hours ticked by. Changbin was relieved, as he didn't doubt Chan would lose his cool upon seeing Changbin in such a way, but also was feeling so pitiful that he slightly wanted to be fussed over. 

On the bright side - if there was one having physically collapsed from anxiety-induced exhaustion - the fog which had settled over Changbin's mind had fought off the agitation he had been possessed by before. It also helped to dull the pain of his arms and back, which must have hit the ground quite harshly judging by the muted throbbing coming from his spine.

Changbin let out another groan, mustering the strength to move one of his arms to flop dejectedly across his face. It covered his eyes and shielded them almost entirely from the bothersome light, but he felt them fluttering closed again all the same. With the exhaustion leaving him stranded on the ground the thought of sitting up, let alone standing, seemed entirely impossible. 

He desperately wanted to go to sleep, but even with a lethargically slowed mind he knew that wasn't a good idea. His aches would only be worse when he woke up, and he was sure he would be discovered if he did happen to drift off where he was. And, given he had already made it through the ordeal without alerting anyone else of his troubles, that was very undesirable. 

"Alright Changbin, let's go..." He growled aloud, his voice hoarse and wavering as he managed to roll himself onto his side. The floor seemed to stretch out for an abnormally long distance in front of him, and he blinked desperately to try and clear his sight enough that he could distinguish the line where the wall met the ceiling. 

Much to his relief, even as his awareness began to return, the fear did not. It still felt numbed significantly by his drowsiness, and his previously fear-controlled thoughts were replaced by the stubborn will to rest his body. Besides, it would be ideal if he could get to sleep with anything other than that picture on his mind, so he felt a newfound determination strengthen his muscles enough to stand. 

And that was a mistake. 

The room swung around him, and he swallowed back rising nausea as he struggled to maintain his footing. His vision went dark for a moment, something he relished in the place of his spinning sight, and he reached out for something to steady himself with. His hands brushed hard leather, and he immediately grabbed onto it. Whatever he had latched himself onto, it was quite large, and while it swung beneath his weight he managed to keep himself from passing out again with its additional support. 

Once he was content that the room's spinning had been reduced to a manageable wobble, he slowly turned his head to take in what he was gripping. The punching bag met his stare, almost condescendingly, and Changbin sighed before reaching up to pat it with an apologetic air. 

With weakened hands, he took off the gloves which he had worn for protection, then released his hold on the punching bag and began to stagger in the direction of the door. He was sure that he looked like a complete fool, tripping up on his own feet multiple times and walking in a line that was as straight as Chan's hair when they'd curled it together that one time. 

The door hadn't looked to be that close, but suddenly he was slamming into it with his entire body. If Changbin had the energy he might have winced, but instead he took the pain with a small grunt, pushing the door open simply by leaning on it. 

He would have fallen out into the corridor in an undignified heap if it hadn't been for the arms that reached out to steady him. 

It took a humiliatingly long time for Changbin to realise that he hadn't hit the floor, and even longer to register that someone had spoken his name. The hands which held him up by his shoulders were gentle yet rooting, and the person didn't seem to pay any mind to the blood which still covered most of Changbin's clothing. 

Blinking wearily, Changbin raised his head, and felt his stomach drop because of course it had to be _him._

"Binnie?" Hyunjin asked carefully, his gaze intensifying as Changbin made eye-contact. He was wearing the sunglasses with the golden shades, Changbin realised, meaning his eyes were perfectly visible and shone with a concern that struck Changbin's heart mercilessly. Changbin cursed inwardly, because now they were alone, and he had promised himself to talk to Hyunjin once that happened. But he was hardly in the state to do so, and he didn't want Hyunjin to see him when he had just- "Are you alright?" 

No. No, Changbin was not alright. 

His entire body hurt, his mind was desperately telling him that he should be worrying about something which he didn't wish to think about, and he suddenly wanted to slap himself because he was responsible for Hyunjin wearing such a crestfallen expression. 

"I'm fine," he said, glancing away as Hyunjin's stare was just a little too intense for him to handle when he could barely process his own thoughts. Hyunjin's grip on his shoulders had relaxed slightly, so Changbin took the opportunity to step back and put some distance between them. He found that it was just a little easier to stand on his own when Hyunjin was there, watching him with those observant eyes which never failed to pique Changbin's interest. 

"You're tired, right?" Hyunjin huffed after a short pause, and Changbin felt the other's gaze taking in his bedraggled appearance. "Your eye-bags are bigger than I've ever seen them and you look paler than Jisung did when I told him I ate the last piece of cheesecake. Basically, you look like shit." 

Changbin scoffed, though he didn't roll his eyes from the fear he would lose the stability of his vision again. Instead, he began (attempting) to make his way down the corridor in the direction of their rooms, more than a little relieved that Hyunjin no longer looked as though he was about to burst into tears. 

"You really know how to flatter someone," he said drily, feeling an ounce of frustration in his chest when his legs almost gave out beneath him at the first step. Clenching his jaw and fixating his gaze determinedly on the end of the hallway, he continued. 

Hyunjin brushed up beside him, and a second later Changbin felt an arm being wrapped around his middle. A frustrated blush made its way to his cheeks as he acknowledged that he had to be helped in such a way, but he was also thankful Hyunjin hadn't waited long enough for him to inevitably faceplant on the hard ground. It should have been obvious that with an attention as sharp as Hyunjin's, Changbin's dragging feet and weak legs would be blaringly easy to pick up on. 

"I wasn't trying to flatter you, I was trying to express my concern," Hyunjin returned evenly, matching his steps with Changbin's slower pace as they began their journey through the seemingly deserted base. Changbin wondered again what the time was, seeing as he couldn't hear the voices of the others even as they approached the communal area. 

He also found himself curious as to what Hyunjin was doing up and about when it appeared everyone else had gone to bed. He could hardly blame them - feeling the numbing exhaustion of that recent events himself - but he would have thought Hyunjin would have been one of the most tired of them all. It had been the younger's first mission, after all, and he must have been caught off-guard by just how loud the crowd at the festival had been. 

At that thought, Changbin's eyes travelled up to survey Hyunjin with a newfound cautiousness. He recalled his concern when the crowd had screamed out from every angle upon the blackout, and how their cries had torn into his heart; not because they were too loud for him, but because he was fearing what they might have been doing to Hyunjin. 

"How are you doing, anyway? Your ears are alright?" Changbin asked after a short silence. Hyunjin glanced down at him fleetingly the same emotion that Changbin had noticed in the van flickering in his expression for a moment, before he looked back up and pursed his lips. 

"I'm fine. It was a bit of a shock at first, but nothing that I'm not used to..." Hyunjin trailed off, and Changbin watched as the taller grimaced with a memory which Changbin recognised must have been a painful one. 

He finally let his eyes drop to the floor, watching as they continued to step in sync. It was a little dizzying, and he was thankful that Hyunjin still had an arm around him for support, even if he wished he didn't require it. 

"I was thinking about you," Changbin said quietly. The slowness of his thoughts and dreary achiness of his body meant that he couldn't quite process his words as he spoke them, most of his attention instead focused on how Hyunjin's grip had tightened ever so slightly. "When all of the lights went out and people started screaming, I looked for you. I couldn't move for a few seconds after the blackout... I think it was because I was worried about all of the noise, and needed to know you were coping alright with it." 

Hyunjin didn't say anything, and Changbin didn't lift his gaze from his feet as they continued their undemanding journey throughout the base. Whether it was because of his muddled mind, or if he generally was unable to answer the question which he asked himself mentally, his thought managed to strand him without a clue. 

_Why do I care so much?_

His feelings didn't exclusively reside with Hyunjin either; Changbin knew that he would also have been panicked into stillness if he had been worried about any one of Jeongin, Seungmin or Jisung. He was used to such a bond with Chan, but couldn't have anticipated that he would kindle one so strong with a group which he had barely known for a month. 

When he was fully aware, he didn't concentrate on his more sentimental emotions too much. He always had other things to worry about, other things to do. However, now that he was drifting in and out of coherent thoughts, he realised how much he really did care about his new friends, and how little that bothered him. 

Perhaps it was because he recognised how content they were to be living together, finally in a place that they felt they could belong in, and he wanted to give them what he had never been able to have himself. 

"I was thinking about you too." 

Hyunjin's voice drew Changbin's focus back to the present. He blinked his eyes open blearily, having not even realised they had closed. The familiar plain corridor leading to their rooms met his fuzzy vision, and he felt a warm relief that he was so close to a bed. He'd almost forgotten that Hyunjin had spoken, his voice quiet yet hoarse with an unidentifiable emotion, but found himself listening intently as the other continued. 

"I thought that I'd prepared myself for anything to happen, since I didn't really know what to expect..." There wasn't a waver to Hyunjin's tone, but Changbin sensed a sudden irregularity in their steps. "But when you just cut off, and Seungmin told me Innie couldn't make contact with your earpiece... I was convinced something awful must have happened, and I was tearing myself apart because I believed it was my fault." 

Changbin felt a lump rise to his throat as they came to a stop, and he glanced up at the familiar door leading to the room he shared with Chan. He risked taking a look at Hyunjin, and almost staggered when he saw the sheer agitation on the other's face. Even with the calming golden sheen of his glasses, Hyunjin looked completely unrelaxed and on edge, and if it wasn't for his lack of strength Changbin would have immediately hugged Hyunjin until he didn't look so sad anymore. 

"Jinnie-" his voice broke, and he managed to step out of Hyunjin's hold so that he could turn and face the taller properly. This time it was Hyunjin who seemed adamant to avoid eye-contact, as his feet shuffled against the ground and his head was downturned. Changbin could already feel his legs begging to collapse, and so he carried on without waiting for Hyunjin to look up. "Please know that it isn't your fault. You did everything perfectly, even when the odds went against you and you had to rely on just your sight. There were fifteen masked people, armed with knives, and they were in one of the trailers. Everything you said was right." 

Hyunjin finally looked up, and there was a little less conflict in his eyes as he surveyed Changbin. His expression was tense still, but at least he held Changbin's gaze without too much hesitance, and finally gave a nod of resignation. 

"Go to sleep, Bin. I'll see you tomorrow." 

Changbin felt his lips turn up to form a small smile, and he fumbled behind him for the door handle. Hyunjin gave him one final wave before he turned and made his way back down the corridor. Changbin waited until the other had disappeared from sight, then entered his own room, relishing the calmness that washed over him as soon as he stepped inside. 

A warm glow was cast out from the standing lamp next to Chan's bed. Changbin's gaze quickly travelled to the older as he stood, looking far less put together than he had earlier in the night, and Changbin guessed that Chan had also been having his own troubles with processing what had happened. 

The smile which Changbin had put on for Hyunjin slipped away to be replaced by an exhausted grimace, and he slowly carried himself towards his bed. If the circumstances were different, Changbin would have felt quite proud that he had managed to handle the over-exertion of his powers so well, but he doubted he could find anything positive in himself at that moment. 

Chan hesitated for a split-second before crossing the room, carefully sitting himself down on next to Changbin on the smaller's bed. They didn't embrace, but the gentle and silent comfort which Chan brought with him was like a soothing blanket that washed over Changbin, warming the cold numbness which had taken over him having felt so much in the space of a day. 

"Was that Hyunjin?" Chan asked quietly, clasping his hands together in his lap. Changbin nodded once in response, the heavy sense of guilt filling his heart as he recalled how the younger had been forced to shoulder most of his weight on their journey back to his room. He had to apologise for that too, once he was in a state to do so. 

Changbin felt sorry for so much. 

"Don't blame yourself for anything that happened today," Chan said, almost as if he had read Changbin's mind. "We still barely know anything about that photo, so don't focus on it too much for now. And I know you, Bin, so I know you're feeling bad for losing your cool and making all of us - especially Jinnie and Sung - worry so much, but don't. You need to rely on us sometimes, don't shoulder all of the weight yourself." 

"That goes for you too," Changbin mumbled, earning a small huff of acknowledgement from Chan. He had been able to tell immediately that all Chan had done since returning to the base was fret over the photo and its meaning for the group, even in his drowsy state, simply because Chan seemed so exhausted himself. He didn't think that either of them would be able to get even an ounce of peace until they had talked about it a little bit though, and come to a decision regarding how much they would tell the others. So, although his mind desperately willed him to stop, he directed their conversation back to the happenings of that night. "You don't think JYP could've had anything to do with this, do you?" 

Barely a moment passed before Chan shook his head. Changbin didn't exactly feel surprised, as he didn't think so either. 

"No... No, if JYP wanted to get our attention he'd order a bunch of agents to storm in here himself," Chan muttered, his voice taking on a bitter undertone which Changbin could relate to all too well. 

"Alright then..." Changbin said slowly, sensing a new question begin to form in his mind. With the grounding presence of Chan at his side and the soft comfort of his bed, he was beginning to think a little more coherently, and found himself astonished that it hadn't crossed his mind beforehand. "Do we tell _him_ about this?" 

Chan fell silent, and Changbin watched as he tensed visibly. Both of them had vowed to be as separated from JYP and his work as they could, and to seek his help after mere weeks was a humiliation neither of them wanted to give in to. However, Changbin knew deep down that there was more than their grudge on the line; they had four other people to worry about and take care of. If they were put in danger- 

"Maybe I'm selfish, but... I just don't want to," Chan whispered eventually, and Changbin could hear the self-disappointment in the other's voice. He felt it himself, but also was unable to deny Chan's words, feeling shamefully relieved that they both shared the view. "And besides, we still don't know what's actually going on here. This could just be some shallow game being played by someone who isn't a threat to us, and we don't want to get the others caught up in JYP's web just for that, do we?"

"Of course not." 

Changbin's mind was suddenly filled with the image of emotionless stares, manipulative smiles and falsely soothing hands. He became awfully aware of how Jeongin would lose the innocent spark which he always carried in the shine of his eyes, and how Seungmin's paranoia and distrustfulness would only get worse. He could picture how afraid Jisung would be every night, and the controlling hold Hyunjin would always be kept under, threatened everyday by the people around him who possessed the knowledge of how to hurt him in the most unimaginable ways- 

And Changbin felt a lot more confident in their decision. 

"So, that brings us back here again..." Chan's tone was grim, and he gave Changbin a sympathetic look. "What are we going to tell them?" 

Immediately Changbin was thrown back into uncertainty, and his fingers twitched unconsciously at his sides. 

"What did you tell Hyunjin?" He asked after a short pause. He already knew where Seungmin, Jeongin and Jisung stood, but had never directly spoken to Hyunjin about what had happened in the trailer. Chan must have said something on the ride back, but Changbin couldn't recall hearing anything being said. Was it possible that Hyunjin just hadn't asked at all? 

"I said that it wasn't my place to tell," Chan responded evenly, and Changbin breathed a short, shuddering breath of relief. 

He mustered the strength to move his head and looked up at Chan, who was gazing at him nervously as if wondering whether it had been the right thing to say. As soon as Changbin gave a small smile of gratitude, however, Chan's face melted into a grin of his own, the golden glow of the lamp perfectly reflecting the fondness which shone in his eyes. 

"I told the others that I recognised one of the gang members... I think Sung believed me, or at least didn't question it, and I don't really know what Seungmin thought." He felt his lips twist into an amused smirk as his thoughts travelled to Jeongin. "Innie's definitely onto me though. He unraveled my lie right in front of me with logic. I'm telling you; that kid is too smart for his own good." 

"Well it wasn't exactly the best cover story," Chan rebutted, a laugh softening his words. If Changbin's arms still didn't feel as if they were made of lead, he would have slapped his friend on the knee for his tease, but he had to settle for a frustrated pout. 

Soon the mood descended back into a more forlorn one, as Changbin recalled the question they had left more or less unaddressed. They had to make a decision, and Changbin could begin to feel himself inching towards one, even if he wasn't sure how much he approved of it just yet. 

"I... I don't think we should tell them," he confessed, and Chan stilled beside him. With the words now in the air, Changbin knew he couldn't take them back, and instead had to elaborate. "They're - especially Jisung and Hyunjin - still not used to this kind of thing... Even Seungmin was nervous for this mission because of how big it was, and with how fragile their confidences are already... something like this might just destroy it." 

Chan remained silent for an unnervingly long time, and Changbin was about to ask whether his reasoning really was so abhorrent when the blond finally spoke. His voice was unwavering as usual, but Changbin detected a hesitance which he shared. 

"That might be for the best. We don't want them to panic and be on edge about something if it's not a threat... And if something else happens regarding it, we can inform them about it then." 

While Chan had said exactly what Changbin had been thinking, there was significant hesitance lingering in the both of them. Changbin felt both exhausted and alert; he finally felt a little bit more in control of the situation, but there was still a sense of foreboding clinging to his body. 

Chan was the first one to move, unsurprisingly. He stood up from the bed with an energy which Changbin couldn't relate to at all, and placed his hands on his hips as he looked down at the smaller with an almost parental grimace. 

"You look like a mess, Bin."

"Hyunjin told me that too," Changbin muttered, though he didn't feel too put-off as he knew it was the truth. In fact, he was fairly certain that he looked a lot better than he felt. 

After a quiet laugh to himself, Chan bounced on the balls of his feet impatiently. "Come on. Let's get you showered and changed, then I think we both can get a well-deserved sleep." 

Chan originally appeared to have been planning to give Changbin a little independence, but when Changbin stood too quickly and almost fell flat on his face as a result, the older refused to leave his side. Changbin guessed that if he hadn't before, Chan now knew of his second use of his powers, and found himself fixated under a disappointed yet concerned stare as he was ushered in the direction of their bathroom. 

He was only released when he had a shower, but even then Chan adamantly stood just outside the door and called in every ten seconds to make sure that Changbin was managing himself. Changbin resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but found he didn't mind Chan's smothering quite as much as he had the others'. 

His blood-splattered clothing had been abandoned in a heap on the floor to be dealt with later in the morning, while Chan had left a comfortable combination of a T-shirt and shorts on the toilet seat for Changbin once he had finished washing. Judging by how the shirt draped just a little further than most of Changbin's own clothes did, Changbin guessed that it was one of Chan's, and felt a fondness join his already refreshed and soothed heart. 

Despite his improved mood, Changbin couldn't just forget the happenings of that day, and even with Chan's comfort and his own exhaustion, he lay awake for a frustratingly long time after the two had tucked themselves into bed. 

Whenever he closed his eyes, the image of a black and white photograph was projected into his mind. And every time, he would hear those ten words whispered to him by a disembodied voice. 

_'You will run out of time soon enough, Seo Changbin.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooooOOOOoooh! And the plot thickens, hmmm? Someone gotta give Binnie a hug ;w; And still no sign of Minho or Felix... What could they have been up to during all of this, I wonder...? 
> 
> On a brighter note, we have hit 2k hits and 100k words! I can't really believe how I have managed to churn out so many words already, and the motivation is hardly dwindling :D Thank you so much to everyone who has read and supported this fic so far, I am extremely thankful for you all!
> 
> And please feel free to contact me on Twitter @beanwillstay
> 
> <3


	9. {9}

They all slept into the afternoon the next day. Even Seungmin did, much to Jeongin's amazement.

Furthermore in the ones following, where they rarely did anything other than busy themselves with activities in the base, most members of the group wouldn't emerge from their rooms until the sun had reached its peak in the sky. Seungmin and Chan were the exception - Seungmin being enough of a morning person that he could get out of bed no matter how tired he felt, and Chan's relationship with sleep remained a mystery. 

Jisung had always been an avid sleeper, even before their draining mission at the festival. While Hyunjin hadn't said anything specifically, it was obvious that he had been quite drained by the night, and was taking time to recover for himself. As for Changbin... Jeongin simply wasn't sure about him.

Jeongin himself was quite surprised by just how much he had been sleeping over the past week or so; he hadn't been exhausted like Hyunjin, or shaken as Changbin had been. He eventually realised, after an extremely thoughtful hour spent lounging around on his bed one evening, that he was feeling tired for an entirely different reason. 

He was apprehensive, and he was feeling less energetic because of it. 

The first day following the festival had been a little tense. They all had inerasable memories of what had happened; Seungmin had told Jeongin that the image of Chan's fire devouring the stage and nearby stalls was unforgettable, and Jeongin himself could never forget the panicked sounds of an entire crowd hurrying away from such a disaster. And on top of that, there was undeniably a weary cloud hanging around Changbin, despite how much the older tried to put on his usual joking grin and goofy persona. They'd all see a side of him, just for a moment, that he seemed to think was something to be ashamed of, and that was making Jeongin sad enough that he would grow physically lethargic. Sometimes Jeongin wondered if that was partly why Hyunjin spent so much time in his room for a while, given he could pick up on even more of Changbin's little nervous twitches than Jeongin could. 

However, there was something else occupying Jeongin's thoughts which neither Hyunjin, Seungmin or Jisung knew about. 

As the group atmosphere gradually returned to its normal, light-hearted peacefulness, Jeongin found himself thinking back to one moment of that night in particular. He could still picture Changbin's shocked expression in his mind when he had revealed that he knew - or at least guessed - that the older had been lying. Truthfully he hadn't been sure, but when Changbin didn't even try to modify his story, and instead had asked 'how did you know,' Jeongin had decided his suspicions were well found. 

At the time, he'd told Changbin not to worry about telling him anything, and he still didn't want to force his friend to open up about something he didn't want to. Yet unfortunately, as the days went by and they continued as if nothing had happened, Jeongin grew more hung up on it. 

From the moment they had met, Jeongin had always perceived Changbin as quite a mature, strong individual - despite the cheeky and childish character he put on sometimes. That meant that once he lost his cool, Jeongin was sure something significant must have occurred, and the more he was left consciously in the dark about it, the more he fretted. 

To make matters worse, Jeongin's heightened perceptiveness was quickly able to pick up on the difference in their two oldest members' behaviours. Following the first day which had been filled with tense silences, Changbin seemed frustratingly determined to make conversation with everyone, fooling around so much that it was no wonder Jisung appeared to have entirely forgotten about the happenings of the festival. Chan, on the other hand, had only intensified his subtle protectiveness, and would regularly pop his head into the computer room while Jeongin was working there simply to see how things were going. Jeongin thought it was quite nice at first, since he got a little lonely when neither Seungmin or Jisung were hanging out there with him, but eventually he noticed an unusual pattern in Chan's new habit and decided it also must have been down to whatever had happened following the disconnection of Changbin's earpiece. 

_It's usually Seungmin's job to worry about things like this,_ Jeongin had told himself countless times out of frustration. That was the main reason he hadn't said anything to Seungmin - the person he always confided in - because he feared that Seungmin would become even more on edge than he was. 

And so Jeongin had spent the following week feeling nothing but uneasy, shrugging off the concerned looks he got from the others with dimpled smiles and light words. It was hard and frustrating, given that with most of his problems, he could have simply used his chip to get to the bottom of it. This one was not quite the same. 

"Innie?"

Jeongin blinked as his name was called, his thoughts shattering like little shards of glass around him as he remembered where had been before getting lost in his own mind. 

He was in the computer room, which Chan had nicknamed 'Innie's den,' working his way through a two-player metroidvania game with Jisung. They'd come across it while browsing idly together a few days ago and decided to give it a chance; there wasn't much to do given Clé had once again fallen silent in response to the massacre of their members by Changbin's hand at the festival. 

Jeongin had greatly enjoyed it at first, since he had never played a video game with anyone else before, and Jisung was a hilariously chaotic partner. He lacked the skillful touch Jeongin did to the games - the chip came in quite handy with that - and often grew so frustrated he would accidentally drain the computer he had been playing on of all its power. 

However, Jeongin hadn't quite been able to keep up his enthusiasm for that day, it seemed, judging by how the screen was suddenly paused midway through the boss-fight, and Jeongin felt himself being fixated under a searching stare seconds later. 

"You've barely moved your character all level. What's up?" Jisung pushed back from the desk with his legs, sending his chair rolling in Jeongin's direction. 

Jeongin sighed quietly, removing his fingers from where they had hovered over his keyboard and mouse. He knew Jisung wouldn't let them continue playing now, both because he was stubborn and also because he wouldn't want to fight their current boss with only one player properly focused. 

When Jeongin didn't say anything in response, Jisung wheeled himself closer and bent over Jeongin's computer, effectively blocking the younger's view of the screen. His eyes were wide and expectant, though there was a pout on his lips as he maneuvered himself to follow Jeongin's gaze.

"Come on, Innie," he groaned and leant back, removing himself from Jeongin's personal space. He didn't distance his chair, though, and still seemed entirely determined to talk about exactly what Jeongin didn't want to. "It's clear something's wrong, so tell me! You've heard out my venting plenty times while we've been in here, and remember what we always say: what's said in Innie's den, stays in Innie's den." 

"We've never said that," Jeongin muttered, though he did feel a light smile play at his lips as he finally looked up at Jisung, who brightened at the attention. 

Jisung was grinning encouragingly, his cheeks glowing beneath the light of Jeongin's computer screen. His eyes had an eager shine to them too, and he was edging forwards in his seat with an anticipated excitement that made Jeongin feel slightly uncomfortable. He shifted back on his own chair to put some distance between them, not missing the way Jisung's face fell and immediately caused a pang of guilt to hit his heart. 

He knew that he couldn't tell Jisung any of the details, or really what had him so worked up in the first place. That was something reserved for Chan and Changbin, after all. However he couldn't deny that Jisung just seemed so desperate to be confided in - and Jeongin was so close to losing his cool over his own conflicts that he was fairly easily coerced into opening his mouth, much to Jisung's delight. 

Besides, even if it couldn't directly help, at least Jisung might feel happy. 

"What do you think about secrets?" Jeongin asked, doing his best to keep his voice even. He decided that while he couldn't get advice from Jisung regarding exactly what was wrong, he might be able to get a loose bit of comfort at least. 

Jisung raised an eyebrow and flopped against the backrest of his chair. He bounced a leg thoughtfully, his gaze suddenly a lot calmer and mature than it had been seconds before. Jeongin recognised him entering his more sentimental state of mind - one that Jeongin had seen very rarely, but also thought was quite an admirable part of his friend. Once or twice he had caught a glimpse of Jisung's lyrics, and been astonished by how very thoughtful they were. 

After a few seconds of pensive silence, with Jeongin trying not to squirm beneath the focused look he was being fixated under, Jisung spoke. 

"I guess that kind of depends on the context, like what secret is being kept and why... Generally I'd say it's alright to have them if they're not harming anyone, and that they shouldn't be spread around unless it's beneficial for someone else." He swung absently on his chair, his gaze becoming slightly unfocused even while he continued to stare at Jeongin. "I mean, everyone's going to have secrets. We all have our own: our abilities. And in our case, spreading it would only be harmful, because it would probably end up badly for us. It would be a betrayal of trust.

"But then again, sometimes you need to tell them... Obviously people are going to confide in you because they don't want you to say anything about it, but if it's harmful then you don't have the right to keep quiet- not if people are going to get hurt because of it," he finished decisively. Jeongin was stunned into silence, his mouth opened slightly as he processed the valuable words Jisung had just said. 

Jisung's eyes sharpened, and he appeared to break himself out of his daze. He blinked at Jeongin, seeming to take the younger's silence as something negative, as he quickly hurried to add, "That's just my personal opinion, of course. It's only based off what I've seen from shows and movies, not personal experience, since I've never really had friends to lie to before... Other than you guys, though I could never imagine lying to any of you." 

His words were sweet, and Jeongin smiled at them although he knew it may have looked more like a grimace. Jeongin was once again reminded of exactly why he had asked Jisung such a question, and felt considerably uncomfortable as he realised Chan and Changbin didn't seem to share Jisung's 'no lying' beliefs. 

_They have a reason, I'm sure..._

"Why do you ask?" Jisung inquired, propping an elbow on his armrest and giving Jeongin another searching look.

Jeongin shifted in his chair, breaking eye-contact to try and rid himself of some of his tension. He understood Jisung's curiosity - given he very rarely spoke about something quite so personal - but with Jisung's perspective he was even more determined to keep quiet about it all. 

"I was just wondering. It's nothing," Jeongin said dismissively, though judging by the disbelieving quirk of Jisung's lips he wasn't very convincing. He could tell that Jisung was about to pry again, which Jeongin really didn't want, and so made an effort to cut his friend off with another question. "And what about if you think someone is keeping a secret, and it's kind of freaking you out, but you don't know how to ask about it or whether you should be worrying?" 

That hadn't been the right thing to say. 

Jisung's relaxed expression morphed into a frown of suspicion and concern, and he leaned forwards on his chair once again. Jeongin purposefully rolled himself back a few inches, though Jisung didn't seem to care as much that time, his gaze focused on Jeongin's face with an unnervingly observational sharpness to it. Jeongin's chip gave a twinge of frustration, as if condescending him for his own lack of tact. 

"That really doesn't sound like 'nothing,' Innie..." His words were drawn out and thoughtful, and Jeongin desperately wanted the playful, silly Jisung back; this intelligent and watchful Jisung was beginning to get frighteningly close to the truth that Jeongin was trying to keep hidden. Changbin had seemed so nervous in the back of the van- he couldn't just betray his trust and tell everything to Jisung, even if he was feeling uneasy about the secrecy he had discovered- "Has someone told you a secret in the group?" 

Jeongin swallowed harshly, keeping his gaze firmly directed to the floor. He wished for nothing more than to just return to their game and act as though nothing had happened, but by then he had done enough damage and knew that he wouldn't get out of the interrogation unscathed. Maybe he could make up an excuse and get himself out of the room, then rush off and hide behind Hyunjin or Seungmin until Jisung's curiosity died down. 

" _Woah_ ," Jisung breathed out suddenly, his tone suddenly so much more relaxed and blissful that it shocked Jeongin into looking up. The younger watched in surprise as Jisung leant back in his seat with a wide, wistful smile and spun it, leaning his head back and closing his eyes in a startling peaceful manner. "I've always wanted to do something like this in real life. It all looked so fun on TV, you know? I was wondering how long it would be before spicy stuff started happening between us."

"Sungie, you need to stop referring to things as ' _s_ _picy_ ,' Jeongin grumbled, doing his best to deter his friend. 

It didn't work at all, unfortunately, as Jisung didn't even acknowledge Jeongin's request. Instead, he brought the absent spinning of his chair to an abrupt stop by bracing himself against the desk, then gave Jeongin a look filled with newfound excitement. Jeongin felt his heartbeat quicken in fearful anticipation and tried to keep his hands still at his sides. 

"I'm thinking..." Jisung began deliberately slowly, his lips curling into a playful smirk. Jeongin was both relieved that he no longer seemed to be taking their conversation seriously, and terrified simply by the sudden madness on his face. "Either someone from the group told you a secret, or you told something to them. And now, you don't know what to do with it. Am I right?" 

Jeongin blinked, astonished into silence by the unanticipated turn of their conversation. He hadn't been expecting Jisung to let the topic go easily, so wasn't exactly surprised that they were still talking about it, but he was a little caught off-guard by just how invested the other appeared to uncover their secrets. He would have laughed and joined in if the subject had been anyone else, but given he was currently the one being drilled for information, it was far more flustering than he would have thought. 

"You're- you're not right!" Jeongin exclaimed finally, folding his arms over his chest to try and disguise the nervous twitching of his right hand. "I was asking you just because I was curious, not for anything else."

Jisung pursed his lips and tilted his head to the side in an obvious look of disbelief, his eyes glinting with the same mischief that made Jeongin want to run and seek refuge. 

"Let's see then, shall we?" Jisung gave his chair another thoughtful spin, and Jeongin wanted to kick out a leg and make him topple over. "If you told a secret to someone, it would probably be Seungminnie. And you trust him more than anyone, we all know that, so you wouldn't be worrying so much if that was the case..." 

Jeongin rubbed his hands over his face, almost relishing the cold bite of his chip against his skin.

"I told you, I'm not worrying about anything-"

"So now I'm thinking someone else told you a secret, and you're conflicted because you want to tell Seungmin, since you guys have always told everything to each other!" Jisung's grin widened in triumph at the conclusion which he seemed to think was ever so intelligent, much to Jeongin's ire. "But who...? I think Channie and Bin confide in each other most of the time, so maybe Hyunjin told you something- did Hyunjin tell you something?" 

"Hyunjin didn't tell me anything-" 

Jisung gasped so suddenly that Jeongin inhaled sharply out of shock himself. The older barely paused for a second before crying out, "No, no! Maybe _you_ told someone a secret, and now you're nervous they're going to tell! Or you feel guilty for not telling Seungminnie first... But why wouldn't you tell him, unless it was something that you didn't want him to know specifically-" 

Jeongin was not at all fond of the direction of their conversation was taking, and almost wished that Jisung would go back to being the serious and mature version of himself from just before. 

With a loud sigh that Jeongin hoped would interrupt Jisung's ramble, he looked up from his hands to glare indignantly at the other. "This isn't what I was looking for when I asked for advice!" 

His words seemed to strike a chord in Jisung; his flow of words cut short as if Jeongin had slapped him across the face. He paused mid-sentence, the delighted grin slipping away to be replaced by slack-faced surprise. Dark eyes blinked owlishly at Jeongin, who felt the undesirably familiar sense of embarrassment heat his face as he was fixated under such an intense stare. 

He was sure he hadn't upset Jisung, but he had done _something._ What exactly that was, Jeongin couldn't be sure. 

Just as he was about to rise from his seat and bolt out of the room to separate himself from the sheer awkwardness he was feeling, Jisung unfroze himself and flopped back into his seat with a small huff. 

"Well, you could have just told me if you wanted advice. I know exactly what you should do in this situation." Despite how uncomfortable he felt, Jeongin's eyes were immediately drawn away from the door at Jisung's announcement. He glanced at the older, feeling hope blossom in his chest even as he told himself internally that there was no way Jisung would be able to fix all of his problems just like that. 

However, with Jisung suddenly giving him such an affectionate, understanding smile, it was hard not to feel comforted. It was almost reminiscent of Chan - how the corners of Jisung's mouth had lifted up slightly, and his gaze was soft in a way that was so out of character that Jeongin almost forgot who he was talking to for a moment. It was quite endearing, really, to see how Jisung had picked up 'the Chan-look' from Chan himself. Jeongin was just a little too unsettled to take too much pleasure in it though, as he waited with anticipation for what was going to be said. 

"I think you should just tell him." 

Jeongin blinked, leaning his head forwards an inch as he wondered whether he had heard correctly. Jisung continued to give him the same knowing stare, and Jeongin felt certain that he must have missed something - that Jisung had murmured something else during his ramblings which would have made that final statement a little easier to understand. 

"Um... Tell who?" Jeongin asked quietly once it became obvious Jisung was not going to elaborate any further. 

Jisung _rolled his eyes_ , and Jeongin felt himself blush in indignation. It was as though Jisung thought everything was obvious, when really it was quite the opposite. Jeongin had been worrying himself to the point of exhaustion for days with the burden of the half-secret he was aware of, and now Jisung was giving him vague advice which he didn't have the faintest clue how to act upon. 

Tell Changbin? Tell Chan? And tell them what, exactly? 

_I'm sorry to seem so distrustful of you guys, but I've been losing sleep because I think you're hiding something,_ Jeongin thought bitterly, despising himself for his own admission. _I just want to know-_

"Seungmin, of course. Who else?" 

Jeongin's eyes widened and he stared at Jisung in disbelief. He certainly hadn't misheard that part; Seungmin's name was suddenly echoing around his mind with enough force to give him a headache. Jisung watched expectantly, swiveling lightly from side to side on his chair. His expression was just as serenely calm as it had been before, although there was certain spark of amusement glinting in his eyes, which only served to rile Jeongin up even more. 

"And... What would I tell him?" Jeongin asked hesitantly, suddenly gaining that opinion that he may have misunderstood. He had just been so hopeful that Jisung could have given him some advice regarding his situation that he had believed the impossible, and now seemed to have landed himself in a rather awkward position. 

Yet no matter how much dread he began to feel, he couldn't have been prepared for what Jisung said next. 

"How you feel about him, obviously." 

Jeongin let out a sound which was a distinct mixture between a sob and a squeak. Jisung pursed his lips to keep from laughing, and Jeongin would have been offended if he wasn't already reeling from what he had just heard. 

All worries of Chan and Changbin had been pushed to the back of his mind, and he was left in a blank state of shock. He stared in disbelief at his friend, who continued to look infuriatingly self-assured, and did his best not to break out into a sweat. There was no way Jisung knew that much; Jeongin himself wasn't even sure about his feelings for Seungmin, and had been doing his best not to pay too much attention to them because of it. 

He cleared his throat, trying to keep the tremour from his voice as he said, "How is that, exactly?" 

It was Jisung's turn to be lost for words, as his mouth opened for a few seconds before snapping closed again. That didn't help Jeongin feel any better, and his thoughts were sudden overrun with the fear that his inner turmoil regarding Seungmin was blaringly obvious to everyone else. If Jisung was so surprised by his hesitance, what could that mean? Was he- 

"Don't make me spell it out for you, Innie," Jisung chastised, and Jeongin almost wished that he had remained quiet. "You like Seungmin, and you want-"

"Why do you think that?" Jeongin cried, his eyes flashing with indignation. His body moved before he could fully process what he was doing, as if it was physically afraid and needed to get away, as a moment later he was on his feet and his chair was rolling away behind him. Jisung blinked up at him in mild alarm, but Jeongin was too flustered to pay any mind to it, and instead was trying his best not to take the older and shake him by the shoulders in an attempt to make him forget their entire conversation. "And how did you come to the conclusion _that_ was what I was seeking advice about?" 

He didn't specify what 'that' was - he didn't have the courage to - but Jisung seemed to understand immediately what Jeongin was referring to. Jeongin watched with wide eyes as realisation dawned on Jisung's face, and he at least had the decency to look a little sheepish. A light blush dusted his cheeks, and he raised a bashful hand to rub the back of his neck. 

"Ah... I thought you were-" Jisung cut himself off, breaking eye-contact and suddenly looking extremely interested in the floor. "Sorry about that. I just assumed that since you seemed so worried, and came to me about it instead of Seungmin, it was about... Well, never mind. What did you actually want advice about, then?" 

Jeongin let out a humourless laugh. He couldn't believe just how badly their talk had turned out, and even if he hadn't necessarily betrayed Changbin's trust by letting on what was really happening, he had been faced with something that felt even more traumatising. And even though Jeongin knew his friend was only trying to help, Jisung didn't make it any better by making a move to divert their conversation's focus elsewhere, as if he hadn't just said something which made Jeongin's mind short-circuit in a way only an electrical device should be able to. He could feel the little lights on his chip going absolutely insane. 

"I think that's enough advice for me today," Jeongin huffed, letting himself fall back into his seat. It spun slightly as he settled in it, only serving to fuel the nausea which was beginning to build in his stomach. 

He dared to glance up at Jisung again for a moment, dreading that the other would pry for information now he knew there was something else. Fortunately though, Jisung remained quiet, and was thoughtfully nibbling on his lower lip. He continued to look at the floor, but didn't appear quite as sheepish as he had before, and the mischief had entirely vanished from his eyes. 

Jeongin softened at the sight, and he felt a little guilty for reacting so dramatically when Jisung had only been trying to help. He had just been utterly alarmed at what Jisung had been implying, and was left with no more clarity regarding his issue with Chan and Changbin, which began to cloud his mind once again as his thoughts drifted back towards them. 

Desperate to distract himself with something, even if it made him want to tug the collar of his T-shirt up to cover his face, he asked Jisung one final question. He voice was astonishingly steady as he did so. 

"Is it obvious?" Jisung glanced up at his words, an uncertain expression passing over his face. Jeongin forced himself to continue at the older's non-verbal cluelessness, although his mouth tasted bitter with nerves. "How I feel about Seungmin- is it obvious?" 

Jisung's mouth twisted into a little 'o' of surprise, but there wasn't any lingering amusement in his eyes as he answered in an earnest voice, "Not too much. I think Hyunjin and I are the only ones who have any idea; he actually asked me about it, since he picks up on little things, you know?" 

"Little things?" Jeongin repeated, his voice rising an octave in alarm. His mind was suddenly recounting every recent interaction he had shared with Seungmin while around the others, and whether he had ever said anything slightly odd. He couldn't picture a single thing, which only served to panic him more. 

Fortunately Jisung seemed to pick up on Jeongin's vulnerability, as a moment later there was a comforting hand resting on his knee, which he had previously been bouncing up and down at a rapid pace. 

"Hyunjin just mentioned uh..." Jisung's gaze turned slightly apologetic, and Jeongin braced himself for the worst. "He said that he's noticed your face will get slightly more flushed when Seungmin's around... and sometimes he picks up on your heartrate increasing?" 

Jeongin was simultaneously relieved and bothered by what he had just been told. He hadn't noticed such details himself, and it was a little unnerving to know Hyunjin was aware of something as telling as his heartrate when he himself wasn't. However, there was also the sweet reassurance that it hadn't been exceedingly obvious as he had been dreading, and it was only because of Hyunjin's heightened senses that his feelings for Seungmin - whatever they were - had been discovered. 

He did unfortunately have the problem of Jisung and Hyunjin both knowing, which was the last thing he wanted. When he was so uncertain about all of it himself, he would much rather try and work through it independently, and certainly dreaded the prospect of being teased for it. 

"You can't tell Seungmin," Jeongin begged finally, raising his eyes pleadingly to Jisung's. He found only reassuring compassion there, and wasn't quite as unnerved to see such a calm expression on Jisung's face as he had been moments before. "I don't even know what I feel myself, but I don't want to make him uncomfortable, or ruin the friendship we already have. It means the world to me." 

Jisung nodded slowly, his lips curling into a sad smile. Jeongin was reminded of the first morning they had spent together in the computer room, and Jisung had just seemed so hesitant. Luckily he had opened up since, and turned into the loud and playful mood-maker they all loved him as, but Jeongin knew that he still struggled with burdens of his own, such as his loneliness before being brought into their little group. Jeongin became very aware, once again, of just how fortunate he was to have found Seungmin, and the thought only intensified his desire to keep his new and unfamiliar feelings concealed. 

"My lips are sealed," Jisung said earnestly, even raising a hand to mime a zipping motion across his mouth. "And you don't have to worry about Jinnie blabbing either. He actually told me about the little signals he'd picked up on because he was concerned that you were sick, but I knew what must have been happening straight away. I'm a love expect, you know." 

Jeongin rolled his eyes despite himself, and reached forwards to slap Jisung playfully on the knee. While he may have been extremely caught off guard by the direction their conversation had taken, and he guessed his heart would require quite a few hours to recover, he couldn't deny that he felt significantly less agitated than before. At least Chan and Changbin were no longer the focus of his worries, and he hadn't realised before just how nice it was to talk to someone else about your problems, even if he had gotten off to a bit of a rocky start at it with Jisung. 

He even felt content enough to lean forwards and place his hands back onto the keyboard, his chip giving a little twinge of anticipation. 

"Come on, then. Let's get back to this boss, shall we?" He prompted, and his voice returned to its usual airy tone, even if his throat did ache a little from how much squeaking he had just done. 

Jisung chuckled and began to push himself away from Jeongin's desk, using his hands as a driving mechanism for his wheeled chair. Jeongin was about to un-pause the game and continue the fight when he became aware that Jisung had halted - his journey coming to a sudden stop. With an inquisitive tilt of his head, Jeongin glanced up to ask his friend what was wrong, and found Jisung looking at him with a breath-takingly tender smile. 

"And regarding whatever it is that you _actually_ wanted advice on," Jisung began, with a familiar sheepishness taking over his grin for a moment. It soon slipped away to be replaced with the same sincere stare. "Just remember... we already know each others' biggest secrets: our powers. Anything else may be a little scary, but I don't think it's quite on the same level. Sharing what we do, I doubt there's a chance of any of us keeping something seriously harmful." 

Jisung then turned and continued wheeling himself back to his own computer, leaving Jeongin to mull over his words. He found that they gave a sense of security to him, as well as a frustration towards himself for not realising their meaning sooner. 

Of course there was nothing to worry about. From the very beginning, Chan and Changbin had done nothing but look after them, acting as the dependable and experienced friends that they could all look up to and rely on. Changbin had made an effort to keep Jeongin from falling when they were still strangers, and Chan had done everything in his power to make Jeongin feel as comfortable and at home as he could when they first moved in. 

It was undeniable that they were keeping something from Jeongin and the others, but with Jisung's indirect comfort Jeongin realised that he didn't need to lose his mind over it as he had been doing. He was sure that, whatever it was, they had a reason for hiding something away, and that it was almost definitely for their shared benefit as a group. 

How could he ever have allowed himself to believe otherwise? 

And his unidentifiable feelings towards Seungmin - which Jeongin still didn't have a clue about - at least felt a little less unnerving once he knew someone else was aware of them too. He didn't feel paranoid as he might have expected, but soothed that he now had someone to confide in regarding it, as he hadn't before. It was also touching to know that Hyunjin had been looking out for him closely enough to notice the difference in Jeongin's behaviour around Seungmin. While Jeongin did sometimes get irritated by how the others would coddle him excessively, he decided that on this occasion it wasn't quite such a bad thing. 

So when Jisung un-paused their game, Jeongin threw himself into the battle with a newfound vigor. His chip relished the returned clarity of his thoughts, and together he and Jisung passed the level without needing a restart. 

They had probably been playing for a further couple of hours, exploring the new area and chatting happily about it as they went, when Jeongin felt his stomach rumble. It was easy for him to get lost in the world of a video game, especially when Jisung was there with him, but with the sudden hunger that overcame him the focus which he had regained began to dwindle once again. Jisung appeared to be sharing the notion, as his character's movements were growing less and less accurate. When they reached the next save point, Jisung paused the game without even conferring with Jeongin first. 

"I'm starving. You?" 

"I feel like I haven't eaten in weeks," Jeongin groaned in response, patting his tummy sympathetically as he leant over to shut down his computer. He heard a faint shuffling from Jisung's direction, and then a contented sigh as his friend got to his feet and stretched. 

One thing about Jeongin's abilities were that he could spend any number of hours sat in front of a computer screen or hunched over a desk, and his body would never complain as he had learnt Jisung's would. Often Chan chastised them for sitting hunched over their machines for so long, but Jeongin's chip took such pleasure in doing so that despite the conditions, it felt more like a massage than a grueling position. 

"Has anyone started on dinner yet?" Jisung questioned absently as he made his way over, his hands thrown carelessly in his pockets. He frowned at the doorway, pursing his lips in concentration. "I can't hear anything. Where's Hyunjin when you need him?" 

Jeongin grinned and rose from his seat, tucking it neatly into position, and then followed Jisung from the room. His chip began to quiet itself down as he left the presence of the computers, and into the blanker hallways of their base. 

As they grew closer to the communal area, Jeongin strained his hearing for any sounds of cooking. Jisung was rambling about what they could make at his side, seeming to have already decided no one else had started on a meal yet, but Jeongin wasn't so sure. That suspicion only intensified as the sound of voices reached their ears, though unfamiliar. Jeongin exchanged a bemused glance with Jisung before they rounded the corner and found its source. 

The communal area was almost entirely bathed in darkness. The only ceiling lights switched on were the few that hung above the kitchen, which was entirely deserted. There was a blueish glow resonating from the couches, along with soft-spoken voices and a vaguely familiar tune. 

Jeongin crossed over with Jisung at his side, and squinted at the drama which was playing on their small but reasonably strong TV. It wasn't one that he recognised - not that he'd watched many - and looked like a bit of a sappy romance which he wouldn't have been interested in anyway. The ones watching were Hyunjin and Seungmin, splayed out on either side of the main couch with their legs intertwined between them. Hyunjin was wearing a pair of completely opaque shades, both to soften the glare of the screen, and to hide the wetness of his eyes, if the wobbling of his lip was anything to go by. Jeongin would have smirked and pointed it out to Jisung, if his gaze hadn't wandered to Seungmin and wiped the grin clean off his face. 

Seungmin wasn't exactly doing anything extraordinary, in fact he was doing nothing at all. And that was exactly what was tearing Jeongin apart so much. 

His eyes were sharp with focus, yet still somehow so soft and endearing that all Jeongin wanted to do was stare into them. He was fiddling absently with a cushion that he had pressed against his chest, and barely even glanced up as Jeongin and Jisung approached. His fair fell perfectly over his forehead, individual strands flawlessly outlined by the glow of the screen, and his skin glowed healthily.

Hyunjin's head suddenly snapped up, and Jeongin was painfully aware that he was being stared at. Jisung's words replayed in his mind: 'sometimes he picks up on your heartrate increasing.' For the first time, Jeongin realised that his heart was thrumming with such vigor in his chest that he was astonished Hyunjin was the only other person who appeared to have picked up on it. 

He needed to get better at controlling himself... 

Fortunately, Jisung broke the limbo-like state which had fallen over them all by flopping himself unceremoniously down onto the couch. Hyunjin cried out dramatically and made a fuss of moving his legs away, while Seungmin's gaze continued to be transfixed on the TV; he only made space for Jisung when his feet were forcibly pushed onto the floor. 

Jisung wasted no time in settling himself into the cushions, mumbling something about 'loving this episode,' while Jeongin hovered uncertainly behind the couch. He wasn't entirely sure why he was suddenly so hesitant, though he had an idea that it might be partially down to spending time around Seungmin and Hyunjin, with what Jisung had just talked through with him. 

Before Jeongin could turn away and busy himself with something else, Seungmin diverted his attention from the TV and gave Jeongin a somewhat bemused look. 

"Is everything alright, Innie? You can come and sit down, if you want." 

Jeongin's breath hitched, and he was certain that his heartrate had impossibly managed to increase. Hyunjin glanced his way again, which only served to make Jeongin feel even more flustered. He cleared his throat and glanced away, hoping that the red hue which he was sure coloured his cheeks wasn't too visible in the low lighting.

"Sungie and I actually came in here to start making something for dinner," he replied, shooting Jisung a pointed stare. He was only met with the back of a head, however, as Jisung appeared entirely enraptured by the drama in front of him. Jeongin was tempted to walk over and drag his friend from the couch by his hair, but suddenly there was a friendly hand clasping down on Jeongin's shoulder. 

Jeongin let out an undignified squeak and whirled around, meeting the eyes of Changbin, who had somehow managed to sneak up on the group from behind. His eyebrows were furrowed slightly in concern at Jeongin's jumpiness, to which Jeongin only pursed his lips and shot the older a desperate look of 'please don't ask.' Fortunately Changbin seemed to understand, as he gave a short nod and took a step back, his hand falling back to his side. 

"Don't worry about that; I was just on my way to get sushi. There's a good place which has opened in a town not too far from here, so I thought I'd save us having to make anything," Changbin explained, waving a hand which held the glint of the keys to their van. 

"You just don't want to have to do the dishes," Seungmin observed, and Changbin shot an unamused glare towards the group lounging on the couch. 

Jeongin struggled to keep himself from laughing, even though seeing Changbin did still strike that little chord of uncertainty in him. He felt awful about it, and wished that he could just be as trusting as Jisung, but perhaps Seungmin had rubbed off on him during their time together. 

Fortunately Changbin didn't stick around for long, as he gave Jeongin one final, long-suffering grimace before departing towards the lift. 

"If you're really hungry you can eat something, but don't ruin your appetites," he warned, before initiating the lift's movement and disappearing into the world above. Jeongin felt pleased with the knowledge that they would be eating soon - or rather, his stomach did - but it left him in the uncomfortable position of standing behind the couch. At least with the excuse of preparing dinner, he could have avoided Seungmin's expected gaze, but now found himself trapped beneath it once again. 

Very hesitantly, Jeongin began to make his way around the side of the couch. Seungmin looked back to the drama with a small smile of contentment when he saw Jeongin moving to join them, while Hyunjin and Jisung barely glanced up; Hyunjin's legs were once again stretched out to rest comfortably on Jisung's lap.

They all looked so settled that Jeongin wasn't entirely sure how to get himself in. There was more than enough space for one other person on the couch, with Hyunjin taking up the space for at least two people, but Jeongin still felt just a little too flushed to be seated so close to anyone. Besides, Hyunjin would definitely be able to pick up on the rapid beating of his heart, and Jeongin wanted to spare himself of that embarrassment. His eyes wandered towards the other unoccupied seats that crowded around the TV, but decided against it, since that would be just a little too suspicious, and- 

_I'm overthinking this, aren't I?_

With a small huff of self-directed frustration, Jeongin slid onto the floor in front of the couch. It was irritating that he suddenly felt so cautious, not only because of the Chan and Changbin situation, but whatever was happening with Seungmin. 

He shuffled so that his back rested against the front cushioning of the couch, spreading his legs out onto the carpet in front of him. He stubbornly fixated his eyes on the TV, trying to catch up with the events of the drama, but found himself lost to the plot and the characters. It didn't seem like much of an exciting one, focused more on romance and typical life-situations, which didn't do much to help how flustered Jeongin felt at how very domestic their current position was. 

He had managed to sit himself on the floor somewhere between Jisung and Hyunjin, so that he could lean his head back onto the cushions behind him without worrying about brushing against someone's legs.

A few minutes passed in which they sat in silence, simply watching the events of the episode unfold. While Jeongin wasn't getting invested into the story, he did find himself growing more and more interested, simply because of the extremely rash decisions some of the main characters made. On occasion he would voice his thoughts, and be very adamantly shushed by Jisung. If Jeongin wasn't feeling so frustratingly hesitant to hold a conversation with Seungmin, he would have leaned over to his best friend and begun openly criticising the show together, knowing that they would both share their view on it. However, he only kept his comments murmured, and Seungmin never added to them.

It wasn't long before a hand came to rest on his head, fingers carding themselves through his hair in an obvious attempt to keep him quiet. Hyunjin's touch was soft, as if his abilities had taught him never to be too rough with contact, but he succeeded at soothing Jeongin enough that he wasn't quite so open with his cynical views regarding the show. 

When the episode finished and the next one began to play, no one made a move to get up and stop it. Jeongin cast a quick, wistful glance towards the lift in the hope that Changbin might return with the sushi - which Jeongin was feeling more excited for by the minute - but was met with a disappointing stillness. 

Perhaps a quarter of the way through the following episode, Jeongin's attention was captured by movement to his left. He glanced away from the TV as Chan came to sit down on the floor, his blond hair damp and ruffled as if he had only just stepped out from the shower and attempted (unsuccessfully) to towel dry it. Jeongin's gaze travelled to his shoulders, where there was a towel draped around them to prevent any stray dripping, and returned the cheerful grin which Chan shot him a second later. 

"What are you watching?" He asked quietly, shuffling a little closer to Jeongin so that their legs touched as they stretched out across the carpet. 

Jeongin responded with a shrug, as he genuinely didn't know. "I'm not sure. Some drama that Jinnie found, I think." 

Chan nodded and settled back against the couch, seeming content to catch himself up just as Jeongin had. Jeongin guessed that he already knew of Changbin's whereabouts, as he didn't move to do anything regarding their lack of dinner, when usually he would have been rushing to prepare something if he knew his group were hungry. 

"Ew Chan, wet hair!" Jisung cried out, breaking the peaceful atmosphere which had settled. Chan laughed playfully as Jisung kicked out, pushing the older away from where he had previously been leaning again Jisung's dangling legs. Jeongin felt his lips twitch in amusement as he spotted the small damp patches on Jisung's jeans that had been left behind by Chan's hair. 

"Don't make a mess of the couch," Seungmin drawled, though his eyes remained fixed on the TV as Jisung continued to nudge Chan away. Chan met Jeongin's gaze and raised an eyebrow as if to say 'really?' to which Jeongin shook his head with fake disappointment. 

Jisung carried on prodding Chan with his feet for a few moments, before he groaned and fell back onto the couch. "Can't you just use your powers to dry your hair?" 

"I mean- I can," Chan responded quickly, though something in his tone suggested to Jeongin that it wasn't quite that easy. He winked at Jeongin, which only made the younger feel more suspicious, before settling himself back into position and closing his eyes in silent concentration. 

Perhaps three seconds passed before Jeongin felt the temperature rise to the point of being uncomfortable. He grimaced and fiddled with the collar of his shirt, trying to let in a little more air, while he heard the shuffling of Seungmin taking off his jumper from the other end of the couch. 

"Now it's too hot!" Hyunjin whined loudly from behind Jeongin, removing his hand from Jeongin's head to fan himself. Chan laughed triumphantly, but almost instantaneously the atmosphere began to cool again, and the group - sparing Chan - let out a collective sigh of relief. 

"You lot are never happy, are you?" Chan said with playful sarcasm dripping from his tone. Jeongin rolled his eyes and folded his arms, pointedly staring ahead of him at the screen, while Jisung muttered something inaudible from behind them. 

"It's not our fault you're dripping everywhere," Seungmin mumbled, and Jeongin glanced over as he noticed movement in his peripheral vision. Seungmin was rising from the couch, albeit reluctantly, and came to stand in front of Chan, who looked up at him silently. It was rather amusing, given how Seungmin was staring down at him with an almost parental look of exasperation. "Come on, get up. I'll help you dry your hair, like the child you are."

Jeongin shook with silent laugher as Chan hopped to his feet, clearly playing along with Seungmin's acting. Seungmin's eyes glinted with mirth as he took Chan by the wrist and began dragging the older towards the section of corridors which branched off towards their rooms. They were just about to turn to the right and disappear from sight when a familiar voice called out from the lift, having entered unheard against the humoured teasing that had been directed towards Chan. 

"Food's here!" 

Hyunjin was the first to his feet, perhaps having been the only one to have noticed Changbin's presence before his call, but Jeongin wasn't far behind. His eyes immediately travelled to the plastic bag Changbin was carrying in, and felt his stomach give a small rumble of anticipation as he caught a glimpse of some transparent boxes being contained inside. 

Chan and Seungmin both paused and seemed to come to a silent agreement, as Seungmin released Chan's wrist and the pair also made their way towards the kitchen. Jisung reached across and turned off the TV, then jogged to catch up with Jeongin, who was gazing down in awe at the selection of sushi Changbin was currently unloading onto one of the tables. 

He and Seungmin had never eaten anything too exotic while they had been living alone; they moved around so often that they never had proper facilities or ingredients to cook, and often the cheapest meals were very basic and low-quality. The last time he had sushi would have been when he was living with his parents, and that felt like a lifetime ago. 

Chan had brought a collection of various sized plates out from a cupboard and placed them on an adjacent table, along with a selection of chopsticks. Jeongin was one of the first to help himself, taking a both a small and large plate, then stood expectantly in front of Changbin. The older gave him an affectionate grin, then leaned over and began filling the larger of Jeongin's plates. 

"Can we watch a movie tonight?" Jisung asked as Changbin carefully poured some soy sauce onto Jeongin’s smaller dish.

"Of course!" Chan agreed happily, joining Changbin to help share out the food. He shot Hyunjin a grateful smile as the younger arrived with five cans of soda that they'd kept in the fridge, and a simple juice for his own more sensitive tastes. "Is there anything you're thinking of in particular?" 

Jisung paused for a second, and Jeongin shot him an curious glance. He didn't have much of a preference himself, and balanced his plates carefully on his palms as he stepped aside to let Seungmin receive his share. Jisung's eyes were narrowed slightly in thought, and his gaze drifted from Chan to the other members of their group. They lingered on Hyunjin, whose mouth opened in silent realisation, then twisted into a wide smile of excitement. 

The movie they'd decided on was Harry Potter. Jisung muttered something about a 'deception spell,' which didn't mean much to Jeongin, as he'd only seen the first movie and couldn't remember much of it. He didn't mind the idea though, especially when Chan said that they could eat as they watched. 

"You'd better not make a mess of the couch, any of you," Seungmin reprimanded as they crossed over, having split the sushi relatively equally between them. Jeongin glanced down a little nervously at the soy sauce which sloshed around precariously on his plate as he walked, and reminded himself to be extra careful as he ate. He was already in a bit of an odd place with Seungmin, so if he caused the other to get angry with him, he wasn't quite sure what that might do to him. 

"You say that as if you're the one who's going to be cleaning it up," Changbin quipped, earning a flat stare from Seungmin. 

"I just don't like mess," Seungmin said with a small pout, settling himself into his previous position tucked against the far armrest. "Mess is gross." 

They began to relax themselves against the couch, all basing around the one in the center. Jisung and Hyunjin immediately took the middle spot once again, while Changbin squeezed himself in beside the taller with a small mumble of 'budge up.' Jeongin and Chan once again found themselves on the floor, but Jeongin didn't mind too much, as it meant he didn't have to worry about keeping his plates on his lap when he could just put them down next to him. He lent back, finding that there wasn't simply space behind him anymore, but that Hyunjin's legs became his newest backrest. When the other didn't complain, Jeongin let himself fall into a more comfortable position. 

Chan was the last to sit, having busied himself with switching on the TV. His towel lay abandoned in the kitchen, as his hair had just about dried to the level Jisung and Seungmin wouldn’t complain about. He took a step back after browsing the channels for a moment, a small frown on his face as he scanned for the option they were looking for. 

"Want me to help, Channie?" Jeongin called up, and his chip gave a familiar twinge of anticipation. Chan glanced down and offered Jeongin a thankful smile, passing the controller into Jeongin's outstretched hand. 

Jeongin began flicking through the channels as Chan sat down beside him, carefully balancing his one of his plates on his thigh and leaving the other just to his right. He allowed his chip to take control of the remote, branching further out towards the TV, and with a simple command was able to direct their viewing towards the movie they desired. 

"Gosh, how many of these are there?" Jeongin mumbled half to himself, scrolling through seven pages before he found the first movie. He pressed play, ensuring that they had subtitles on, and then placed the remote beside his drink and settled back against Hyunjin's legs. 

Changbin and Jisung quietened their hushed conversation as a familiar tune drifted out from the TV's speakers. Jeongin's eyes remained trained on the screen when the movie began, although occasionally he was forced to glance down as he ate, just to ensure he didn't make any spillages and risk exposing himself to Seungmin's disappointment. 

He hadn't realised just how long it had been since he'd watched a movie in such a relaxed, homely environment. At once he found himself growing enraptured by the magical story being told before him, and accompanied by the delicious food and grounding presence of Hyunjin behind him and Chan at his side, he slipped into a state of comfort that he hadn't felt truly for quite some time. He simply allowed himself to relax, forgetting all worries about Changbin and Seungmin, and relished the calmness which settled over the group as they watched. 

Once he was content that he'd eaten enough, Jeongin finished off his drink and slid his plates away so that it was impossible for him to knock the little bit of soy sauce he had left. With the fullness of his stomach and the hazy contentment of his mind, it was easy for his eyes to droop, even though he was still invested in the storyline. The subtitles were beginning to blur together, and he couldn't quite keep up with them anymore.

He couldn't much find the wakefulness in himself to care, however, and also soothed himself with the reminder that he could come back and watch the ending at any time he wanted. That was something he could do now. 

Just as he was about to doze off, an amused voice from his left spoke up. 

"You'd think that since they were all so excited they would at least stay awake for the movie, wouldn't you?" 

Jeongin blinked the blurriness from his eyes and gazed at Chan, who was reclining back against Jisung's legs. He could only see the back of Chan's head, as the older was peaking over his shoulder in the direction of their friends residing above them on the couch. Stifling a yawn, Jeongin forced himself into more of a sitting position, and turned slowly to look at the others. 

He thought they'd been unusually quiet, and finally had found the reason why. Each one of them seemed to have fallen asleep in a similar way that Jeongin was about to, their heads lolling to the sides to rest on whatever they could - whether it was another's shoulder or an armrest. It looked exceedingly comfortable, and for the first time Jeongin felt a little jealous that he hadn't managed to take a spot on the couch for himself. Seungmin's shoulder was looking especially tempting, but Jisung had already taken that position for himself, Jeongin observed with a small huff of well-intentioned frustration. 

Chan turned his upper body back and grinned at Jeongin, his dimples being perfectly emphasised by the glowing light of the TV. Jeongin returned the smile, shuffling himself so that he once again was facing forwards, and returned to his position against Hyunjin. He was surprised Hyunjin had managed to fall asleep with the extra weight on his legs, but supposed that perhaps he had been a little more tired than he'd let on. He had been wearing those extra-dark sunglasses, after all, so Jeongin hadn't been able to judge the severity of his eyebags. 

He sat in a comfortable silence with Chan as they continued to watch the movie take its course. Jeongin felt considerably less tired after seeing the others asleep, somehow, and also wanted to stay awake to keep Chan company. 

"Hey Innie, can I talk to you about something?" Chan asked suddenly as the scene changed, taking advantage of the lapse of tension. Jeongin shot him a searching look out of the corner of his eye, and immediately took note of how Chan was no longer smiling, and his eyes weren't fixed on the screen as they had been before. Instead, he was looking at Jeongin somewhat nervously, though there was still a calming sense of compassion in his gaze. "If you want to keep watching though, that's fine. I just thought-"

"No, no... go ahead," Jeongin breathed before he could stop himself, any remaining sleepiness vanishing as soon as he saw the serious look on Chan's face. He leant forwards and reached for the remote, turning down the volume of the TV a little so that he could hear Chan more easily. He didn't switch it off, just in case the change woke one of the others.

He sensed his pulse quickening as the silence stretched on between them, his mind already greatly anticipating what Chan had to say. He could hazard a guess as to what it might be about, and having spent a week with no update at all, he was desperate to hear anything that he could, even if was a simple 'don't worry about anything.' 

Jeongin did not expect what came out of Chan's mouth next. 

"Was there any way that Clé could have known about you and Seungmin?" His tone was hushed, but there was a subtle urgency that sharpened it. The sound of the movie seemed to grow further away. 

Jeongin impulsively tried to figure out what exactly Chan meant by his question, but realised that it might be best for the moment if he simply answered as best he could. Chan did look a lot more grave, and Jeongin found himself growing nervous at the uncharacteristic darkness of his friend’s expression. 

"They didn’t... I'm sure of it. I always made sure of exactly how many people were at a site whenever Seung went in, and he always left having dealt with that amount. We never left any survivors, and I wiped the footage after every run so that we couldn't be found." Jeongin's voice stuttered, and he was breathless by the time he finished. There was just something so moving about Chan's expression, and Jeongin wanted to do everything he could to get rid of the anxious crease which had formed on the older's forehead. "Besides, I would always monitor the communication bases between the divisions afterwards, and other than the report of their losses there was never any mention of us. They didn't know a thing, Channie, I swear."

Chan seemed to relax slightly at that, though there was still a distressingly agitated look on his face as he leant further back against Jisung's legs. He broke eye-contact with Jeongin to look at the TV, but Jeongin knew that he wasn't paying attention to the movie at all. His eyes were glazed over slightly as if he was deep in thought, and while Jeongin wanted to do nothing more than ask what was wrong, it was clear that Chan needed to be left alone to think. 

So after a lingering pause, Jeongin turned his own gaze back towards the movie. It wasn't nearly as interesting as it had been before, and all of the nervousness which had built up in Jeongin over the past week had suddenly returned in full force. Even his chip felt on edge, buzzing with a foreboding manner in his palm, and he did his best to ignore it. 

Then, Chan spoke again. 

"You said that there were four divisions in Clé. One in the North, East, South and West."

Jeongin looked back at Chan, but the older continued to stare straight ahead. He was still frowning, but his wariness appeared to have been replaced by a more soothing look of thoughtfulness which gave Jeongin just an ounce of comfort. Jeongin nodded, certain that Chan could see, and waited for the other to elaborate. 

"So the Northern division signs itself as 'M,' and goes by the name Miroh. That's the one we dealt with at the bank, right?" Chan didn't even wait for Jeongin's affirmation that time, and carried on after taking a short breath. "Then the Eastern one goes by Yellow Wood, or 'YW' on your communication system, and was the one responsible for the raid on the music festival. The Southern one, Levanter..." 

"Hasn't done anything since we joined up with you guys," Jeongin finished for Chan as the older trailed off, finally looking to Jeongin for more information. "But they have been pretty active. Seung and I have dealt with them once, but they seem to be the unofficial leading division of Clé."

Chan nodded along with Jeongin's words, his finger tapping on the floor in between them. "And Jinnie told us he heard the Miroh group mention Levanter at the bank, almost scornfully. You could expect that, if they had declared themselves superior without the permission of the other divisions. We can expect they'll be a fairly tough opposition to beat, when we eventually do go up against them." 

Jeongin couldn't conceal the involuntary shudder which went through him at that. Chan was almost frighteningly correct, as his experience in the field of work began to shine through. Jeongin could easily remember the single time he and Seungmin had dared go up against Levanter while alone, and could still recall how terrifyingly close they had been to losing their lives in the process. He doubted that he'd ever forget the blood which had stained their clothes for days after, and the nasty bullet wound in Seungmin's arm which had burdened them for almost six months with their limited access to medical help. 

He welcomed the distraction of Chan's voice, even if his next question made Jeongin shuffle uncomfortably where he sat. 

"What about the fourth division, then? The one in the West. We've never heard anything about them." 

Jeongin grimaced. "That's exactly it - there isn't anything to say about them. I know they exist because there are four separate accounts linked to the communication channel, and one is based in the suburbs of a city in the West, and that's pretty much all there is to them. They send a message on the channel occasionally, but only when it's mandatory for them to check in and talk about how they're doing. And even then, they never have anything to say other than 'business as usual,' whatever that means." 

He was expecting Chan to be underwhelmed or even disappointed by his words, but it was quite the opposite. The blond's eyes sharpened with interest, and glinted with a newfound determination in the darkness of the room. Jeongin gulped and glanced down at the floor in between them, simply to be spared from the intensity of Chan's gaze for a moment. 

"That's interesting. You would have thought that a group as uptight and restless as this one is, wouldn't allow such a lack of action," Chan commented aloud, speaking something that Jeongin had thought about quite a few times, but never really had time to linger on.

Before Jeongin could ask what Chan was thinking about, the older had mumbled a quiet 'goodnight' and got to his feet. For a second Jeongin considered following him, but he could tell by the way Chan was moving that he wanted to be alone to think. Part of Jeongin was anxious that he was still yet to know more about the situation with Changbin and the festival, but that felt just a little less relevant now. 

Trying to ignore the sudden twinging from his chip, Jeongin turned back to the movie and watched with a broken focus as it reached its climax. There was a nagging feeling in his heart which told him that wouldn't be the last time Chan would want to talk about the fourth division, judging by just how interested the older had seemed in it. 

Jeongin couldn't have guessed just how soon that time would come. 

* * *

During the mid-afternoon of the next day, Jeongin was woken from his nap by a soft and urgent knocking at his door. 

He blinked his eyes open hazily, fortunately not feeling quite as sleepy as he would first thing in the morning, as barely three seconds passed before the person knocked again. Groaning quietly, Jeongin kicked away the covers which he had tucked himself under, and padded his way towards the door. 

He opened it and found himself looking up at Hyunjin, who was watching Jeongin expectantly from behind a pair of pink-tinted shades. His lips twisted into a sympathetic smile at the state of Jeongin's dazed expression and ruffled hair, and he reached out a hand to try and flatten a few strands which stuck out especially haphazardly. 

"Sorry, Innie. I know you were napping, but Chan sent me to get you. He said he needs us all in your den, and it's urgent." 

Jeongin jolted awake at that, and wasted no time in slipping on a pair of shoes before nodding for Hyunjin to take the lead. His thoughts immediately travelled back to the night before, when he and Chan had conversed quietly about Clé, and Chan had suddenly seemed to become possessed by an unspoken idea. 

He picked up his pace, and Hyunjin had no trouble keeping up, given his longer legs were able to take larger strides. Neither spoke as they hurried down the corridor of their rooms, turning onto the one which led towards the computers. Jeongin was tempted to ask Hyunjin if he knew anything else, but given Hyunjin had his own sense of urgency in his steps, it was fairly obvious that he was just as clueless as Jeongin. 

Just as the door leading to the computer room came into sight, Hyunjin skidded to a halt. Despite the eagerness which electrocuted his nerves, Jeongin found himself slowing to a stop as well, and shot the taller a questioning glance. Hyunjin simply nodded in the direction of the hallway they had just come from, and a second later two familiar figures emerged from around the corner. 

Changbin and Seungmin had matching looks of confusion, and both frowned upon the sight of Hyunjin and Jeongin standing just a little further down. Seungmin was first to reach them at a steady jog, his inquisitive stare flicking between the pair with an unsaid question - one that Jeongin could only shrug in response to. 

"Binnie came to get me... He said Chan wanted to talk to us about something?" Seungmin murmured as Changbin fell into step beside Hyunjin in front of them. Jeongin nodded in response, finding that the prettiness of Seungmin's eyes weren't quite as intimidating as they had been previously when he was so high on adrenaline himself. 

He gazed thoughtfully at the back of Changbin's head as the pair in front of them turned into the computer room, wondering if the older knew anything about what Chan needed to tell them.

The question was pushed to the back of his mind as he followed Seungmin inside, and immediately was welcomed by the darkness of the room with all of its lights off. It reminding Jeongin of the presentations he would do in front of the group from time to time, where he connected one of the computers to the large projector, and showed off something that he had found recently. 

Sure enough, the only light in the room was being emitted from the screen at its far end. Jisung was standing just to the side, bent over the computer which was closest, and Chan stood beside him with his back to the four entering. 

Jeongin exchanged a quick look with Seungmin before breaking away and hurrying over to Jisung, leaving the others to take seats in anticipation for whatever they were about to be shown. Jisung glanced up at the sound of Jeongin's footsteps, and gave a small grin of greeting as he stood from the chair he had been sitting in. There was a relatable nervousness to his eyes though, and Jeongin did his best to give a comforting smile in return as he came to stand at his friend's side. 

"Channie?" He asked quietly, prompting the older to turn around. 

Even in the dim lighting of the room, Jeongin could tell that Chan wasn't looking his best. His hair, usually messy with a boyish roughness, was completely tousled and unkept. His skin was almost blue against the glow from the projector, and the dark bags under his eyes were easy enough to pick up on. 

"Jeez, did you get any sleep last night?" Hyunjin asked from the back, speaking Jeongin's exact thoughts aloud. 

Chan didn't pay any attention to the comment, and instead gave Jeongin one of his typical charming smiles, as if he didn't look ready to collapse on his feet at any moment. He nodded at the computer which Jisung had set up and connected to the projector, gesturing for Jeongin to step closer to the machine. 

"Hey, Innie. Would you mind bringing the communication channel up for us all to see, please?" 

His voice was astonishingly even, although there was a certain edge to it which immediately sent Jeongin to work. He leaned over the keyboard, giving Jisung a small smile of gratitude as the other stepped out of the way, and gave his chip the familiar command. 

Over his time at the base, he had managed to refine his abilities with such acts, meaning that it took barely a second for him to open up the channel he wanted. The dark atmosphere of the room only intensified, and he saw Hyunjin switch sunglasses out of the corner of his eye as he straightened up, content with the display which showed on the projector. 

Chan barely let a moment pass before he was giving Jeongin his next request. "Now can you find the most recent message from the Western division?" 

Jeongin frowned at the oddity of the ask, but didn't question it verbally as he got to work once again. That assignment took slightly longer, as it had been quite a few weeks since the fourth division of the gang had been active on the channel, and with the mess of coding that surrounded every message exchanged between them, it provided his chip with quite a bit more work. It completely devoured the task, however, and Jeongin couldn't keep the grin of pride from his lips as he finally managed to track down Chan's desired message. He hovered the cursor over it to make it more obvious for the others, then stood back and took a look for himself. 

_Business as usual. LK._

"'LK?'" Jisung was the first one to speak, hesitance clear in the wavering of his voice. "What does that stand for?" 

"We don't know," Seungmin responded, leaving Jeongin to give Chan another searching look. "Innie and I tried to figure it out, but their official name was never mentioned by another division, and since they haven't done any official before we've haven't come across them in person yet." 

As Hyunjin and Jisung began exchanging guesses as to what the initials 'LK' could stand for, Jeongin breathlessly awaited an announcement from Chan. The blond had turned his back to them once again, and was staring up at the screen with slightly stiffened shoulders. Jeongin wanted to side-step around him and sneak a glance at his expression, but something about the intensity radiating from Chan's being was stopping him. 

After what felt like hours, Chan finally turned around to address their group, causing both Jisung and Hyunjin to promptly fall silent. 

"So this division has never done anything as drastic as the others before, has it?" He asked, though it was spoken more like a rhetorical question. Jeongin nodded, and Chan's gaze flickered towards him for a moment, before he glanced back up at the projector. "This suggests that they're not much of a threat. I'm not sure why they stay so quiet and passive, or why the other divisions seem so uncaring about this, but I think we should take a look for ourselves.

"We were brought together for a reason, and we are here, together, for a reason. We're going to make a change, and we're not going to be able to do that by just sitting around and waiting for a chance to defend civilians when they're under threat."

A silence settled over the group, and Jeongin felt his mouth drop open as the implication of Chan's words began to settle on him. Jisung shakily lowered himself into a seat behind him, but Jeongin was frozen, simply gaping at the back of Chan's head. It wasn't that his idea was a preposterous one - not at all - but it just hadn't been considered by any of them before. 

Changbin was the first to find his voice, though he sounded just as apprehensive as Jeongin felt. "What are you saying, Channie?"

"What I'm saying, Bin..." Chan paused and turned around, his gaze sweeping across each member in front of him. It finally landed on Jeongin, who felt a chill of exhilaration run up his spine at the familiar powerfulness that glinted in Chan's eyes. "Is that, maybe, we should take the initiative here. We should take the fight to _them._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh oh oh! Now what might we have here...? ;o This was a bit of a mixture between a laid-back, fluffy chapter, and a building of tension! Poor Innie is having troubles of his own, but at least he found a little refuge in Jisung! 
> 
> I really do hope that you enjoyed this chapter, and want to thank you all once again for the positive feedback I have received for this fic. It means the world! :"3
> 
> And please feel free to contact me on Twitter @beanwillstay
> 
> <3
> 
> (However, I do feel the need to add a little extra note here... In light of recent things that have happened, I just want to say that it's 100% okay to take some time off the Internet and the K-pop community in general! It's been an intense couple of days for all of us, and I'm sure that picturing what Hyunjin and the boys have been going through is very hurtful, but we have to take care of ourselves and each other, and be strong so that we are ready to give them all of the love and support we can! 
> 
> Stray kids and Stay fighting!)


	10. {10}

Seungmin was surprised by how cautious his steps were as he entered the computer room. Usually he never would have hesitated to see Jeongin, especially when nerves were gripping his heart as fiercely as they were currently, but recently he had found it harder to act as he used to around his best friend. 

Giving a soft knock on the opened door, Seungmin let himself into the room and glanced around. 

The sheer scale and variety of equipment that JYP had to offer still awed Seungmin, and he had lost the initial weariness he had possessed for it all at first. Rows of blank screens stared back at him as his gaze wandered around the room, searching for Jeongin. 

Movement drew Seungmin's attention to the left, and he caught sight of a familiar flash of light hair. Feeling his lips twist into a smile, already comforted by Jeongin's presence even with his own conflicting emotions, Seungmin walked forwards. Jeongin glanced up for a moment to meet Seungmin's eyes, giving a little grin of his own, before he bent down again to fiddle with the earpiece in his grasp. 

"What else is left to take?" Seungmin asked, bouncing on the heels of his feet as he glanced over his shoulder around the room once more. 

Chan had sent him to help Jeongin with the final packing for the mission, along with Jisung, who Seungmin had just crossed paths with in the hallway outside. They were bringing quite a bit more than what they had taken to the bank and festival, even though Jeongin had spent almost all of his time working away at tracking down the base and infiltrating himself into the systems of 'LK.' The younger had poured over a computer for hours, gaining as much information as he possibly could before sending members of their group in. 

Seungmin could understand his worry all too well, as he felt the exact same thing himself. 

"Just the earpieces and the laptop on this shelf," Jeongin said, dropping the device he was holding into the box in front of him. 

Seungmin raised his gaze to the shelf which Jeongin had nodded at, his eyes searching over its seemingly empty surface for a few seconds before they landed on a small, shining case. Jeongin did still seem to enjoy going compact, and Seungmin liked to think that was because of the small laptop they had lived off for most of their time together, but knew that it was probably just easier to carry around. 

He raised himself up on the tips of his toes to reach it, grateful that it was light enough that he could slide it from the shelf without too much trouble. Jeongin closed the box containing the earpieces with a decisive 'click,' then stood and gave the room a final sweeping glance. Even though his youthful face was calmed into a blank expression, Seungmin could easily pick up on the nervous downturn of his lips, having spent enough time studying him to know every little twitch of emotion. 

Once again, Seungmin found himself relating to Jeongin's anxiousness. He would have asked Chan about another last-minute training session to help deal with his jitters, but the older seemed preoccupied enough with the more daunting task ahead of them. Changbin had also been an option, but when Seungmin had gone looking for him, his searching went unsuccessful, and Chan soon picked up on his lack of business and thoughtfully gave Seungmin a few tasks to get on with. 

That included helping Jeongin, who had been flittering around in the computer room ever since lunch, seeming to be hunched over a different device every time Seungmin had entered. He wasn't quite sure what Jeongin had been doing, but since they had limited resources once they left the base, Seungmin only assumed that the younger was busy preparing things for once they arrived at the base of 'LK.' 

Seungmin still remained unnervingly clueless as to what the initials could stand for, even though he and Jeongin had first read a message from the mysterious Western division over a year ago. 

He cleared his throat once, breaking himself out of his own thoughts and also attracting the attention of Jeongin beside him. 

"Are you nervous?" He asked quietly, beginning to lead the way towards the door. Chan had requested they head up to the garage as soon as they were ready, and Seungmin wouldn't have wanted to waste any more time standing around anyway. 

Jeongin smiled ruefully, seeming to recall how Seungmin had said the exact same thing while they had been crouched in the back of the van together on their way to the festival. Yet his eyes remained slightly shadowed, and Seungmin wanted nothing more than for them to regain their usual spark. 

"Of course I am," Jeongin replied, also repeating his own answer from the time before. "I was nervous for the music festival too, since it was all outside so I couldn't get much of a presence. But this time is just..."

"Different?" Seungmin finished as Jeongin trailed off, and they stepped out into the white lighting of the hallway. Jeongin hung back for a moment to turn off the lights in the computer room, then they both continued walking through the otherwise deserted corridors. Their shoulders brushed occasionally, sending little jolts down Seungmin's arm that he tried to convince himself were due to Jeongin's chip. "I know what you mean. This is... a big one." 

He was sure that he could have found better words to describe their mission, but Jeongin appeared to understand him all the same. With a nod of agreement, Jeongin veered in front of Seungmin as they stepped out into the communal area. 

"Missions used to be fairly quiet, when it was just the two of us," he breathed out, and Seungmin felt a small smile of nostalgia tug at his lips. "We'd found our own rhythm and everything. I was beginning to hope something would come along to shake it up, but now it feels like every mission is a pivotal one."

"I think that's because now every mission _is_ a pivotal one," Seungmin reasoned as they came to a stop, Jeongin bringing a hand forwards to call the lift down to them. "Chan doesn't do small." 

Jeongin smiled, and Seungmin relished their momentary relaxation. Even if there was something unfamiliar between the two of them which they continued to dodge around, they could still soothe each other whenever it was needed. 

The lift lowered itself to their level, and Jeongin was the first to step inside. Seungmin shot one final glance over his shoulder at the base stretching out behind them, checking for any lingering members who might want to catch the lift with them. When he was met with a still silence, he adjusted his grip on the handle of the case he was holding and followed Jeongin inside. 

"Just to think..." Jeongin murmured once they were both securely inside, reaching out once again to spur the lift into motion. "That we'd go from struggling to carry out even the smallest of missions, to being somewhere like this? Preparing to launch an attack of our own, to take down one of the four divisions themselves? I can't really get my head around it."

For the third time that afternoon, Seungmin realised that he had Jeongin had been feeling the exact same way. He wasn't quite sure why their relationship had been so cautious over the past weeks, ever since the very first moment when Jeongin had consoled him and their faces had grown just a tad too close for comfort. That uncertainty made it too easy for him to forget the real reason why he and Jeongin shared such a bond in the first place: they had seen and stayed with each other through the worst, and neither planned on going anywhere, no matter what the world continued to throw at them. 

As the lift came to its familiar stuttering halt and Jeongin stepped forwards to open the door to the ground-level of their bunker, Seungmin stepped forwards without properly thinking. He waited until they were both out of the lift, but as soon as the door had slid shut behind them, he reached forwards and took Jeongin's hand in his own. 

He always liked holding Jeongin's right hand the most. Perhaps it was because it brought back fond (and embarrassing) memories of when they had first met, or because the cool smoothness of the chip never failed to remind him of the burden they shared. Either way, as soon as their fingers intertwined and Seungmin felt his own skin brush against metal, he couldn't hold in the quiet sigh of contentment which left his lips. 

Jeongin stiffened for a moment, and Seungmin wondered whether the younger would gag playfully and tear himself away as he used to when they were alone. Instead, after a further second of hesitation, Jeongin gave Seungmin's hand a very small squeeze. 

It was a tiny gesture, yet filled Seungmin with the confidence he needed. 

Seungmin let his hand drop back to his side as they broke away from the lift in the direction of the garage, the finality of the small moment they had shared being a pushing factor for him to compose himself. He spared a quick glance at Jeongin, and found that the younger also looked a little less nervous. His eyes blurred slightly, as he thought back on just how far they had come together, but did he did his best to force the emotion down. They hadn't succeeded in taking down the Western division just yet, after all. It was too early for anything other than focus and concentration. 

The door to the garage was already ajar, and as they drew closer Seungmin picked up on voices carrying out from within. Both of the front doors were also opened, and the Changbin's familiar tone was audible from the back. Seungmin knew that Jisung would already be there as well, as they'd crossed paths when the other had been leaving the computer room, so closed the garage door once he had followed in after Jeongin. 

Chan was already in position, his back towards the pair as they approached, but he turned as soon as Seungmin's gaze landed on him. 

"Great, you guys are here!" He grinned, leaning out of the driver's side to look at the case and box they were carrying. His eyes flashed in approval, and he gave a single nod before glancing up to regard their faces. "Is that everything?" 

"That's everything," Jeongin confirmed, and Chan nodded again before pointing towards the back of the van. 

As he began to explain what Changbin and Jisung had been up to, Seungmin found himself growing a little distracted by the older's appearance. He looked as calm as ever, and there wasn't an ounce of falsity to his smile as he leant back into his seat and gave Seungmin and Jeongin the go-ahead. However, even if his expressions and general mood appeared to be perfectly normal, Seungmin's attention had immediately focused on the dark circles beneath his eyes, and the extra messiness of his hair. For a moment Seungmin wondered whether he should have insisted on having a last minute training session; not for himself, but for Chan. 

He was broken from his thoughts when Chan swiveled back to continue his conversation with Hyunjin, who was already sitting in the passenger's seat on the other side of the van. They'd decided as a group that Hyunjin would always be up front with Chan for every journey, as it meant he could keep a subtle eye out for anything threatening as they drove. The chance of something happening while on the road was miniscule, but Hyunjin’s presence still filled them all with an extra ounce of comfort. 

Jeongin was suddenly absent from his side, and Seungmin realised that the younger had circled around to the back of the van. After throwing Chan one more glance, Seungmin adjusted his grip on the case and followed Jeongin. 

The back doors had been thrown open for them. Jisung was in the process of balancing some other cases in the far corner, resting them up against the back of Hyunjin's seat, while Changbin was bent over their blanket pile. Seungmin noticed with a flicker of amusement that a new one had been added to the collection, by Jisung's request. 

Jeongin was the first to climb in, though Seungmin was close behind him. As the van gave a small shift beneath their added weight, Jisung peeked over his shoulder, his eyes immediately landing on the items they were carrying just as Chan's had. He gave a little sigh of joking frustration as he straightened, placing a hand on his hip and nodding down at the already unstable-looking pile. 

"Do you have any idea how long it took me to get these to stand up by themselves?" He chided, though there was an amused glint to his eyes as Seungmin shuffled past him, being careful not to trip over any stray blankets lying on the floor that Changbin was yet to gather up. 

The pile of cases looked even more precarious as Seungmin drew closer, and he raised a skeptical eyebrow at it. 

"Did you really think this was going to last the journey?" He asked, earning an offended flick on the arm from Jisung. If it weren't for the valuables stored within them, Seungmin might have knocked them over just to prove his point, but instead decided to let his maturity shine through as he began to rearrange them into a more stable arrangement. He quite enjoyed doing such things; it filled him with a calmness that was very welcome in his current nerve-ridden state. 

Jisung mumbled something about how 'ungrateful' Seungmin was before turning to help Changbin as the older moved on to arrange their weaponry. 

That was another aspect which set this current mission aside from their previous ones: they were going in properly armed. A lighter for Chan, which Seungmin thought was a rather neat weapon of choice, and a pair of small handguns for Changbin. Seungmin had decided to go with his familiar set of magnetic daggers, given his prior experience with them made him a little more confident going into what they were. While he greatly appreciated Chan's efforts to train him with other items, such as coins, he wasn't as precise with those, and therefore felt that with a mission so unpredictable, it would be best if he fought with what he was most precise with. 

Seungmin listened quietly to Chan and Hyunjin's conversation as he continued to fiddle with the cases. They were discussing the route which Jeongin had programmed into the navigation system of the van last night, though Hyunjin seemed noticeably nervous, as he had been just before the festival.

Letting out a small sigh of satisfaction, Seungmin straightened and examined his work. Although the pile was still quite messy, it didn't look as though it was about to fall if the van moved, so he decided it would be the best he could manage with such an assortment of cases. Jeongin had similarly gone on the safe-side and brought along as many devices as he could, equally unsure of what would actually happen once they made it to the Western division's base. 

They didn't even know what it would look like, as unsurprisingly there had been no photos. All they had was the location. 

Seungmin glanced away, bringing himself further into the back of the van and leaving the pile of cases behind him. The others had already settled themselves, with Jeongin and Changbin nestled on one side and Jisung splayed out on the other. Seungmin's eyes flitted between them, debating on where to sit himself, but when Jisung patted the area just to his left, Seungmin realised that the decision had already been made for him. 

Grinning slightly in resignation, Seungmin crossed over and lowered himself down beside Jisung, who automatically threw a blanket over his lap. The older seemed to have lost any offence he had claimed over Seungmin's comments on his pile of cases, as he immediately shuffled closer and brushed their shoulders together. 

Seungmin shot him a quick glance, taking in how astonishingly unbothered he appeared. Jisung had always been one of the more nervous members of their group in the face of missions, which was why his calmness shocked Seungmin. Especially since they were heading towards what could be the most endangering fight yet, and given what they had already been through, that was saying quite a bit. 

And then, Seungmin realised that perhaps that was exactly why Jisung didn't appear as nervous as Seungmin felt. Yes, he didn't have as much experience, but the only missions he had been on so far had been tense and unpredictable. Perhaps he was just getting used to such a feeling, while Seungmin himself was accustomed to smaller and smoother operations. 

For the first time, Seungmin found himself envying his friend for his inexperience. 

Jisung smiled at him, which Seungmin returned without hesitation. They both leant back against the wall of the van as Chan accelerated from the front, and the familiar rocking of their passage over the gravel road could be felt moments later. 

His eyes wandered around its interior, landing on Jeongin for a moment, before he hurriedly tore them away. The pile of cases lay further down on the side he was sharing with Jisung, while Changbin and Jeongin had the weaponry and ear pieces on theirs. It was by far the busiest the back of the van had ever been, although Seungmin had only ever been in it a few times, and each one had been surrounded by the other members. He wondered for a moment what it would be like to just ride in the front with Changbin when he went out on a shopping trip, and made a mental note to ask the older the next time he was going out, if they made it back. 

_They would make it back._

Seungmin's thoughts had suddenly strayed into a dark territory that was all too familiar to him, so when Jisung impatiently clicked his fingers right in front of Seungmin's face, he latched onto the distraction. 

Painting an expression that he hoped was more fed-up than grateful, Seungmin glanced at his friend. 

"What is it?" 

Jisung didn't answer, and instead pointed in the others' direction. Seungmin looked over, feeling his eyes widen marginally as he took in the deck of cards which Changbin was currently playing around with. The older's hands moved with a smooth confidence as he shuffled them, maneuvering each individual card with such care and precision that Seungmin was stunned into silence. Jeongin was watching with a look of mild surprise on his face, though at least the final traces of nerves had vanished, and Seungmin felt himself relaxing slightly as a result. 

Changbin finally finished his mesmerising display, and glanced up with a self-satisfied smirk. Seungmin tried to wipe away his awed expression, but it seemed he hadn't done so in time, as Changbin's grin only widened as he leant back against the wall behind him. Jisung gave a small, reluctant round of applause, causing Changbin to wink in a way that was hardly humble. 

"Do you guys know any games?" Changbin asked, his gaze flitting between the other three. Seungmin held eye-contact for a moment, then dropped his gaze to the floor and tried to fight the embarrassed flush which rose to his cheeks. 

"I played a few with my parents when I was younger, but they were all pretty simple and I don't think I remember any of them well enough." Jeongin was the first to respond, his tone conveying a bit of the bashfulness that Seungmin felt. 

He was sure that his father had many decks of cards in the monster of a house he had grown up in, but the thought of trying to find one had never even crossed his mind while he had been there. His focus had always been on other things: first going through all of the children's books in the library, and once his powers showed themselves, harnessing his control over them. He barely knew what the different colours and suits meant, let alone how to play a game with them. 

When Changbin's expectant eyes landed on him, he shrugged, and Changbin gave a small nod of understanding before moving onto Jisung. 

"I know some single-player ones," Jisung said, and while his tone was light there was an underlying sadness to it as he added, "Only single-player ones though. I never had anyone else to play with." 

Changbin nodded once again, and Seungmin reached out a hand to pat comfortingly on Jisung's knee, which was covered by the blanket they were sharing. Jisung gave him a fleeting smile, and fortunately he didn't seem too upset, so Seungmin soon diverted his attention back to Changbin, who was skillfully shuffling the cards once again. 

"No worries, then. I can teach you guys! It would be good if we didn't spend this whole trip worrying ourselves sick, so we'll take any distraction we can get, even if it's one that needs a little coaching." He beamed, and Seungmin couldn't help the matching grin which rose to his face at the sight. "I know this one game called whist that I think could work well. We have the perfect number to play it at its best, anyway." 

Seungmin leaned forwards to watch with wide, inquisitive eyes as Changbin began placing the cards into four piles, his gaze sharpening as he concentrated on counting them out. 

"How do you know so much about card games, Bin?" Jisung asked what Seungmin had been wondering, while Jeongin cocked his head to the side in a similarly curious gesture. 

"Channie and I came across an old pack of cards in a storage cupboard at JYP," Changbin responded, his eyes not leaving the cards on the ground as he continued to deal them out. Seungmin noticed that he had slowed down significantly though; his concentration caught between two things at once. "We used the computers there to look up some games to play together. JYP wanted to confiscate them at first, but when he realised that it was a way for us to calm down and keep occupied whenever we were agitated, he let us hold onto them." 

Seungmin wasn't quite sure what Changbin meant by that, but as he was handed his own pile of thirteen cards, he decided that he was very, very glad that he hadn't been taken into JYP. Yet again he found himself grateful that Chan and Changbin hadn't forced him and Jeongin to dedicate themselves to that group, as the thought of Jeongin especially being under such tight surveillance was enough to make his skin crawl. 

"Right, there's just one more card to deal now," Changbin announced, leaning back. "I'll explain as we go along, but before we begin I should tell you guys that the scoring system in this game is done in pairs. Since Innie and I are already sitting together, it makes the most sense if we pair up, leaving you two as a team." 

"That's not fair!" Seungmin exclaimed immediately, causing Changbin to raise an amused eyebrow. Jeongin bit back a laugh, which he hid very unconvincingly behind his set of cards. "You've already played before; you guys are obviously gonna win!"

"Hey! You never know, I might be a genius at this game!" Jisung reached over and slapped Seungmin on the knee, giving him an offended frown before cooling his expression and shooting Changbin a meaningful look. "But Seungminnie here does have a point. You have Innie as well, and he's got a computer-level brain!"

Jeongin couldn't keep in his laughter at that, as he let out a laugh which made Seungmin's heart beat just a little too quickly. 

"My chip won't help with cards, silly," he teased, crossing his legs in front of him and rocking slightly with the movement of the van. "Binnie and I are just going to beat you with pure skill."

Jisung scoffed, and Seungmin felt his lips curl into a grin as he surveyed Jeongin over the top of his own set of cards. He nudged Jisung with his elbow, who glanced over at once. 

"We've got this?" Seungmin proposed quietly, though loudly enough that he could be heard by the two on the other side of the vehicle. 

"We've got his," Jisung confirmed, giving a matching smirk of his own as they turned back to the game. 

Unsurprisingly, Seungmin and Jisung were completely demolished in the first round. It was quite a chaotic mixture of Changbin trying his best to explain the rules of the game, while the others attempted to take in the information and establish strategies of their own. Initially Seungmin was quite fed up by just how many rules there seemed to be, and couldn't quite wrap his head around the game's mechanics. Jisung wasn't doing much better, and they lost so disastrously that Jisung threatened to simply turn over and sleep for the rest of the journey. 

However, once Changbin and Jeongin convinced him to give at least one more round a go, Seungmin found it all beginning to slot into place with more ease. He didn't pause for quite so long before making a move, and only had to ask Changbin for help once. He couldn't deny that it made him feel proud, especially when Jisung shot him a bewildered look and begged that he 'carried the team.' Even Jeongin didn't get a handle on the game quite as quickly as Seungmin did, and the impressed grin Changbin sent his way was enough to make Seungmin eager to play another round. 

And so, even though Seungmin couldn't quite believe it, the majority of their four hour-long trip was spent playing whist. It was oddly entertaining, despite the eventual repetitiveness of it, and Seungmin grew more and more invested in their scores as the rounds progressed. Even Jeongin, who had previously had the least competitive regard towards the game, would join in with the playful taunts that were fired from each side of the van. 

One time, when Seungmin and Jisung somehow managed to win a round, Jisung let out such a loud cheer that it disturbed Hyunjin in the front, prompting Chan to swerve the van and send their delicate setup flying across the boot as punishment. Seungmin had been annoyed at first, since the round had been ruined, but hearing Chan's genuine laughter from the front was enough to calm him down. 

Eventually Jisung and Jeongin decided to sit out, leaning leisurely against the back walls of the vehicle as Changbin challenged Seungmin to a single-player game. While he had only just mastered the teamed version, Seungmin accepted eagerly, not quite ready to let the competitive flare in him die down just yet. 

After he and Changbin had spent a further half-hour or so playing solo, with Jisung and Jeongin placing bets and cheering them on from either side, Seungmin became aware of the van's movement slowing slightly. He glanced up from his cards and met the gaze of Jeongin, who was looking around and seemed to have noticed the same thing.

They'd been driving along the motorway for a while, Seungmin knew, with the windows in the front open and radio humming softly in the background. Chan had thrown their van into a steady, exhilarating speed, and so the deceleration was easy to pick up on. 

The next sign of change came from Chan himself, as there was a muffled whirring sound from the windows when he rolled them up. The radio went off next, and the van fell into a jarring silence. Jisung gulped from Seungmin's right, showing his first sign of nerves, and Changbin pursed his lips for a moment before leaning forwards to gather up the cards which had been strewn out across the floor between their two sides. 

"Thanks," the older said quietly, giving Seungmin a small nod when he passed over his own hand of cards. With far less dramatic flaunting of skill compared to earlier, Changbin organised the cards and slid them into a small box, which he then left on the ground beside him. 

Seungmin calmed his expression, trying to force his well-natured competitiveness out of his mind. He couldn't be as emotional as he currently felt, not given what they were about to do. Missions required nothing but a collected and clear head, especially one which had as much potential to go wrong as this one did. 

Judging by how the van had slowed and Chan had rolled up the windows, they were leaving the motorway and heading into a more suburban area. Seungmin knew what that meant. 

Within seconds, the carefree atmosphere in the van had vanished. Seungmin was thankful for Changbin's efforts with the card game, as it had been the perfect distraction for those of them in the back, and if Seungmin knew anything about Chan he was sure that the blond had thought of something to keep Hyunjin's mind off their mission too. However, as it became more obvious that they were drawing close to their destination, their oldest members couldn't afford to uphold the same laid-back personas. 

Changbin's gaze was serious as he looked back up at the group, and Seungmin felt Jisung tense beside him. Collectively they had managed to keep their nerves at bay, but once the grim resignation settled over them, it seemed to be all Jisung could do not to start trembling on the spot. Seungmin shuffled a little closer and threaded their hands together under the blanket, earning a grateful glance from his friend in response. 

"So... Shall we go over the plan one more time?" Chan spoke from the front, his voice lacking the playful airiness it had contained when he'd scolded the group in the back for their noisiness. 

Seungmin found his seriousness quite comforting, as it reminded him of just how experienced and skilled Chan was with what they were doing. It didn't seem to quite have the same effect on Jisung, however, who squeezed Seungmin's hand with a little whimper. 

"Once we're at the right address, I'll branch out and check all of the nearby networks so we can locate exactly where these guys are based," Jeongin relayed his part first, and Seungmin felt a small flicker of pride at just how steady the younger's tone was. "Once we know exactly what sort of building we're dealing with, we'll get as close as we dare with the van, and I'll try working my way into their security system - if they have one."

Despite how carefully they had laid out their plan, it felt even more unstable than the one formed for the festival, simply because they truly had no idea what they might be dealing with. At least last time they'd had countless online articles and videos of previous nights spent in the exact clearing they were to travel to, and with Jisung's additional information as a fan of the event, they at least knew what they would be in for. 'LK,' on the other hand, seemed to be a mystery even to the rest of Clé themselves, leaving their own group with barely enough information to track their base to their nearest town, even with all of the work Jeongin had put into doing just that.

Their enemies could potentially range from few and untrained, to threateningly skilled and large in numbers. At least they'd been hoping that Hyunjin could prepare them for the latter. 

"Once we've got the van parked, I'll do my best to listen out and get a rough idea of numbers... Hopefully Innie will be able to get a good idea of what the place looks on the inside, and together you'll know more or less exactly what to expect." Hyunjin was the next to voice his part in their plan, although there was a shakiness to his words, his nerves becoming quite palpable. 

At least he would stay in the van for this particular mission, unlike the one at the festival. Since Jeongin was able to handle the visual aspect by hopefully working his way into the security systems and getting access to the base's cameras, Hyunjin only had to tune into his hearing, and therefore they had decided to keep him in the safety of the van. It also meant that Seungmin could get into the action with Chan and Changbin, as he was no longer assigned the role of Hyunjin's guard. 

And since they didn't have any idea of just how many members there might be milling around in the base, any fighter on their side was a bonus. 

"Then Channie, Bin and I will try to get inside... By force, if we have to," Seungmin said, and while there was a bitter resignation to his tone; they all knew that they'd have to fight their way in. "I'll use the daggers as much as I can." 

"Our aim is to completely wipe them out," Chan continued. There was a chillingly uncharacteristic hardness to his voice, which only served to push at the others' realisation of the severity of what they were about to do. Seungmin noticed Jisung's hand was getting significantly more clammy. "That means we don't leave any survivors. If we can get to whoever's in charge without drawing any attention to ourselves from the outside, then that's great. But if we’re threatened in the slightest, we'll let all hell break loose. And remember, we're there to get information too. We need to try and save their leader for last." 

While Chan's words were grounding in their certainty, Seungmin couldn't help but feel more nervous upon hearing them. 'If,' he had said, unwillingly reminding them all of how uncertain things were. They didn't know if a fight would be brought to them as soon as they tried getting inside, or if they would manage to get to the division's leader with no skirmishes. They didn't even know if the leader would be there. 

"And I'll do all I can with these," Changbin finished off, pointing with an unenthusiastic finger towards the pair of handguns. "Hopefully we can go without my powers for a while, but if I really do need them then I can get try to get everything back under control. It would leave us a bit trapped, though, so we should do our best to avoid it." 

That was another thing that Seungmin respected their eldest two for: their skill without their powers. He'd already been exposed to Chan's hand-to-hand combat forte, but had been mildly surprised to find that Changbin was equally as capable of fighting without his abilities. Seungmin was still far out of his depth when he sparred with either of them, and felt fearful every time he imagined going up against a foe without his daggers, or at least a few coins, to hand. 

"And I'll... make sure none of the computers run out of charge," Jisung added quietly from Seungmin's side. Jeongin let out an amused huff, although Seungmin was under the impression that Jisung hadn't intended for his words to be a joke, or a means to lighten the mood. 

When he shot his friend a quick glance, Seungmin found that Jisung was looking rather dejected. Fingers played half-heartedly at the fraying edges of the blanket they shared, and his eyebrows - which had previously been furrowed out of anxiousness - were now drawn together with a more disdainful manner. Seungmin reminded himself to follow Jisung up on that later, but knew that now wasn't the most ideal time to have a heart to heart, especially when Seungmin's own was beating so quickly he felt as though it was about to burst from his chest. 

The van slowly came to a halt, and Seungmin tightened his grasp on Jisung's hand, hoping that it was more comforting than suffocating as he feared. The four in the back fell silent, gazing towards the front seats in anticipation. Seungmin felt like he was completely lost, with no idea where they were, or what the world outside currently looked like. He could only see some golden light streaming in from the windows, signaling that dusk was well on its way, but knew nothing more. 

"Just stay seated... We're in suburbs at the moment, at the address you gave us, Innie," Chan informed them, his voice rising to its usual cheerful tone. Seungmin could imagine that he was trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. "I've just parked us at the side of the road for the moment. It seems pretty deserted around us... Jinnie?" 

Seungmin promptly held his breath, already aware that Hyunjin would require complete quiet to have any chance of hearing movement nearby. He just hoped that the erratic beating of his heart wasn't too audible, and apologised internally to Hyunjin as they all waited for an update. 

After what felt like far too long, Hyunjin sighed defeatedly from the front. Seungmin finally allowed himself to breathe again, and Jisung let out a sigh which whistled against his teeth. 

"I can't hear anything..." Hyunjin told them, though he didn't turn in his seat to address the others as he spoke. "That could be good or bad, because it means there probably aren't any big groups around to notice us, but also..."

"We might be in the wrong place," Jeongin concluded when Hyunjin trailed off. A frown of frustration graced over the younger's features, and a moment later he was crawling over to the pile of cases which Seungmin had stacked up just before leaving. He took the first one from the top, much to Seungmin's relief, opening it and immediately began typing away at its thin keyboard. "I'll just branch out to all of the nearby networks and see if I can link any addresses to the one which messaged on the Clé channel."

Seungmin and Jisung exchanged a concerned glance as the group was once again left to wait for an update. All Seungmin wanted to do was rise to his feet and look outside, simply to get a vague idea of their location, but he knew that they needed to remain hidden for as long as they could. Even though Hyunjin hadn't heard anything too threatening, they had no way of knowing how discreet LK's security could be, so they had to remain on edge. 

Jeongin's expression didn't betray anything, much to Seungmin's agitation. He kept his face in a purposefully calm mask, his eyes running along coded lines which Seungmin couldn't see. At some point during their wait, Changbin had shuffled himself over to Jeongin's side, but judging by the lost look on the older's face he couldn't make much of whatever Jeongin was doing. 

At last, Jeongin raised an eyebrow in surprise, and glanced up from his screen to look at the others in the van. Seungmin felt a flicker of hope at Jeongin's apparent lack of disappointment, and only felt better when a fleeting grin of satisfaction danced on his lips. 

"I've got them. They were really easy to track, now that we're close enough, and I'm already into their systems." 

There was a shuffling from the front, and Chan's face peeked over the top of the driver's seat a moment later. His eyes were widened in both shock and amazement, and he seemed to have momentarily forgotten about his own advice for them to be discreet. 

"Seriously, Innie? That's incredible, well done!" 

Jeongin blushed visibly at Chan's praise, and Seungmin felt his nerves give way to amusement. 

"It really wasn't much..." Jeongin mumbled, although it was obvious to all of them that Chan's words had meant a lot. "They barely have any security. I didn't even have to prompt my chip to work its way into their system; it just did it on its own. I don't think it even realised what it was doing, but it seems we have full access to everything there... Including the cameras of most rooms, and old security footage. I'm a little underwhelmed, honestly."

While Jisung perked up at Jeongin's words, seeming to brighten at the optimism that came with them, Seungmin felt himself become more and more agitated as the younger continued. Frowning, he tore his gaze from Jeongin to look at Chan, who was already having a silent conversation with Changbin. Both looked just as suspicious as Seungmin felt, and didn't appear to have gained the same closure from Jeongin's report as Jisung had. 

Of course, it did seem like a good thing on the surface. It suggested that the division was unprepared and were not expecting an attack, especially one by a group with their own power. However, Seungmin knew to look a little deeper than that, and was immediately struck by how _off_ it all felt. 

Supposedly, the building Jeongin had managed to locate was the base of the Western division of Clé, a formidable gang that had presence all over the country. Yet they were residing in plain sight, with barely any external or internal protection. That either meant they had a number of bases of equal importance, making the job of wiping them out a lot harder, or there was something very, very wrong. 

Seungmin was beginning to lean towards the latter assumption. 

The sound of a car driving past them brought Seungmin's mind back to the present, while Chan and Changbin appeared to come to a wordless decision. The blond turned back around, and a second later Seungmin heard him talking to Hyunjin, while Changbin cleared his throat before addressing the group in the back. 

"We're just going to head out, then. Can you give us the directions as we go, Innie?" 

Jeongin nodded, glancing up from where he had been surveying something on the screen of his laptop. At Changbin's words, Jisung peeled himself from Seungmin's side and made his way over to the box of earpieces, doing his routine check to make sure they were all properly charged. 

One thing that Jisung and Jeongin had been working on over the past days, and had managed to finish much to all of their relief, was that of a tracking system on their earpieces. Seungmin knew that it had mostly been stemmed from Jeongin's insecurities, ever since Changbin disconnected his at the festival, but it was a useful feature to have in any case. It allowed Jeongin and Jisung to see wherever they were, and therefore meant they could guide them to the right building for the coming mission. 

"I'll make sure you guys get there," Jeongin replied. He nodded down at his screen, causing Changbin to shuffle closer and peek over his shoulder. Jeongin raised a hand and pointed to something which Seungmin couldn't see, though listening was enough to give Seungmin all the information he needed. "Which entrance would be best? There are three different ones as you can see, and I think it might be possible to get through here, although I'm not sure." 

"Well..." Changbin's voice was thoughtful, and he didn't glance up when Jisung came by to hand him his earpiece. "I think the front entrance might be as good as any. By the looks of it the streets are all pretty deserted, and we're not trying to sneak in and out without being noticed by the gang themselves." 

Seungmin tuned out of the conversation at the sound of the front doors opening. He glanced up from where he had been unloading the cases, his eyes falling on the now-empty driver and passenger's seats. Only seconds later, one of the back doors opened behind him, and he shuffled to the side to let Chan and Hyunjin step inside. The older wasted no time in leaning over Jeongin's other shoulder to see what they had been looking at, while Hyunjin moved to help Seungmin with the cases. 

They worked in silence, broken only by the tapping of Jeongin's keyboard and murmurs of gratitude whenever Jisung passed on an earpiece to their desired member. Seungmin already had his own in his hand, but couldn't put it on quite yet.

Hyunjin, almost as if he had read Seungmin's mind, leant over and handed him a beanie a second later. Seungmin grimaced at it, much to Hyunjin's amusement, but took it with a sigh of resignation. 

The earpieces, while extremely useful devices, were not the most subtle. Hyunjin had mentioned that his eyes had immediately been drawn to Changbin's when they had first met in the bank, and given he had barely been conscious at the time, the group decided collectively that they would need to do more to disguise them. At the music festival they could have been passed off as hearing-devices related to the concert, but Seungmin was certain that no matter how unthreatening the gang was, they wouldn't willingly let a group of people sporting obvious earpieces into their base. 

He didn't think they'd let anyone into their base, really, but it did improve their chances slightly if they did more to conceal the devices. 

He'd never worn a beanie before, and had never desired to do so, but apparently it was the 'only believable disguise,' according to Changbin. Seungmin thought that it was just because the word sounded vaguely like the older's name, but when Changbin had very excitedly brandished the hat, he couldn't find it in himself to decline. 

So, with a final glare at Hyunjin - who was giggling merrily to himself - Seungmin slotted in the earpiece and carefully slipped the beanie over his head, making sure that it reached down to his ears. 

He turned back to the group, trying his best to ignore how his hair felt extremely suffocated. Chan had already put his own earpiece in, but it was concealed by his blond curls, while Changbin had brought the hood of his jacket over his head to hide his. Seungmin felt envious of them both, and sulkily brushed his flattened fringe out of his eyes. 

"Looking good," Jeongin teased from the floor, momentarily glancing up to examine Seungmin's accessory. Seungmin rolled his eyes as Jeongin grinned, but the younger was turning back to his laptop a second later. 

Jisung had taken over Seungmin's job of unloading and opening the cases, and fell into rhythm with Hyunjin. That left Seungmin to continue getting himself ready to head out, and he swallowed his discomfort regarding the beanie as he made his way over to where Chan and Changbin were crouched next to the weaponry. 

They both glanced up as Seungmin approached. Seungmin's eyes slid to the lighter which Chan nonchalantly slid into his pocket, and the glint of the bullets which Changbin was carefully putting into a handgun. His own daggers lay in a neat pile between them, organised in size order, although Seungmin guessed he would only use one of them. That was how he felt most comfortable, with his attention focused in just one place. And now he had others to watch his back, which was something Jeongin had always fretted about when they'd been a pair. 

He brought himself down beside Chan, carefully reaching out to take three daggers by their handles. He was smart enough not to use his powers to drag them to himself when the others were nearby, even if they would be fighting in close quarters soon. They felt odd in his hands, as he was more used to carrying them through his eyesight alone, but he didn't falter as he let them fall point-down into his inside pocket. 

With their added weight, Seungmin glanced over his shoulder. Jisung and Hyunjin appeared to have finished their task of unloading the cases, and had sat themselves down on either side of Jeongin, both gazing at the younger's screen with great fascination. Seungmin still hadn't seen exactly what it was that had them all so interested, but he knew that Chan and Changbin had enough of an idea of the base's layout, and found he was able to simply trust and follow them. He couldn't have imagined doing that three months ago, but then again, he couldn't have imagined himself about to walk into the base of one of Clé's divisions either. 

"What are you guys seeing?" Chan asked, following Seungmin's gaze to their three members crowded around the laptop. Seungmin could just about make out the reflection of a hallway in the opaque sheen of Hyunjin's sunglasses. 

"There's barely ten of them in the entire base," Jisung breathed, his eyes wide in a mixture of awe and hopefulness. He looked up and met Chan's gaze, a smile of relief softening his features. "They don't even seem to be armed properly. Seems we might have overprepared." 

While Jisung, and even Hyunjin, appeared soothed by the discovery, it only served to agitate Seungmin even further. He couldn't help but wonder if they had got the wrong place, but Jeongin's chip had never made a mistake before. Jeongin himself wasn't showing the relief that Hyunjin and Jisung were, but he also didn't have the concerned frown which had darkened Chan and Changbin's features. He had controlled his expression into such an emotionless one that even Seungmin couldn't tell what he was feeling, and it was more than a little unnerving. 

"It doesn't seem to be a trap," Hyunjin added, and Seungmin guessed that his eyes were bright with reassurance behind his shades. "I didn't hear any large gatherings of people around, so I think it really is just this group."

"Sounds almost too good to be true," Changbin commented with a light tone, although Seungmin could greatly relate to the skepticism of his words. 

Jeongin was still yet to talk, and he seemed entirely focused on whatever he was doing. Seungmin was about to make his way over and take a look for himself, merely out of curiosity, but Chan spoke before he could even begin to move. 

"We should just get going, then. Can you see a clear leader, Innie? Or, at least, someone who we might get something out of during interrogation?" 

Jeongin showed his first trace of emotion at that, as his eyebrows drew together slightly in concentration. Jisung shuffled himself a little closer to the screen, while Hyunjin leant over and pointed towards the top right corner. They seemed to deliberate amongst themselves for a moment, once again almost provoking Seungmin to go over and see what was happening for himself, before Jeongin looked up again. His face had been cooled into the same unsettlingly unreadable expression, and Seungmin felt relieved that his gaze was on Chan, who didn't seem to be fazed by the younger's intensity at all. 

"There are some who obviously aren't, but we can't be sure between the rest of them," he informed, before Jisung gave him a meaningful nudge. Jeongin hesitated before continuing, "Sungie's certain about it though. He thinks that-" 

"There's this one guy sitting at this desk," Jisung took over, his eyes glinting eagerly as his gaze flitted between the three in front of him. "He seems really calm and well-put together. It looks like he's in a study at a desk, but there aren't any windows so we can't see where it is outside. He's just... _intimidating._ Definitely one to be careful around, if you ask me."

"And if you ask me, you've watched one too many romantic gang movies," Hyunjin commented, and Changbin let out a chuckle at the indignant scowl which crossed Jisung's face. Hyunjin pursed his lips and pointedly ignored Jisung's glare, instead opting to look at Chan. It was hard to tell exactly how he was feeling with his eyes completely invisible, but he seemed certain as he reiterated Jeongin's point. "There are a few it could be, but we can't be sure." 

Chan nodded along to their words, and even gave a fleeting smile at Jisung's. "Alright, Sungie. We'll keep an eye out for the 'intimidating' guy sitting at the desk." 

Despite the joking tone, Jisung brightened at Chan's words. Seungmin shook his head fondly, but found himself making a mental note of the description just in case. Seeing as Jisung appeared to have taken a bit of an interest in that individual, Seungmin vowed that if he happened to be the one taking him down, he would make the death as painless and quick as possible. 

He winced at the thought. 

Chan was the first to get to his feet, and Seungmin forced himself back into the right mindset. In the end, it didn't matter how efficiently he did the job, as long as their targets were completely wiped out by the end. He stood, brushing off some of the dust which had gathered on his clothes, and pulled the beanie down a little further over his ears just to be safe. 

He stole a quick glance behind him at the windshield, and could just about make out a narrow road in front of them, before Chan was stepping towards the back doors and bringing his focus back to the van. He would be outside very soon, and didn't need to try and get his bearings from where he was at the moment. 

A sense of morbid finality settled over the group, just as it had before each of their missions so far. They all silently recognised the danger of what they were going to do, and while no one voiced their worries aloud, it was clear that each one of them held their own fears about what might happen. Seungmin wasn't sure whether he could put a name to his; he was simply afraid of every single thing in his mind which could possibly go wrong. 

Jeongin moved his laptop to the side, and stood between Hyunjin and Jisung, as the trios eyed each other hesitantly for a moment. 

Finally, Chan exhaled loudly in amused frustration, and brought his arms around Seungmin and Changbin. Seungmin wasn't quite sure what he had been expecting from their goodbye in preparation for the coming mission, but he was pleasantly surprised by the group hug he found himself being dragged into. Jisung circled round to his right, and Seungmin was wrapped in the warmth of his friends, being mindful that the daggers in his inside pocket were safely out of the way. 

He looped his own arms around Chan and Jisung on either side of him, and seconds later felt his fingers brush against Jeongin's over Jisung's back. His hand twitched cautiously for a split-second, but then he remembered how soothing the moment they had shared at the base had been. Without giving himself any more time to hesitate, he threaded their fingers together. 

"We really need to stop acting like this..." Changbin said from the other side of the circle, leaning his head on Hyunjin's shoulder. "With goodbyes like these you'd think we're marching off to a war we're not going to come back from. It doesn't leave us in the best mindset." 

Seungmin felt a bittersweet smile play at his lips, and despite Changbin's words, they remained in that position for a little while longer. Hyunjin was the first one to pull back, claiming that having all of their warm bodies huddled so close together was just a little too hot for him. Seungmin did notice how the taller turned his back on the group, however, bringing a hand up to swipe beneath his shades and sniffing quietly to himself. 

Even Jisung was beginning to look a little wet-eyed himself, and Seungmin decided that it might be best to get going before anyone else's waterworks turned on. Chan appeared to share that sentiment, as with a final glance around at the three members they were leaving behind in the van, he started towards the back doors. 

Changbin was close behind, placing a grounding hand on Seungmin's shoulder. Seungmin allowed himself to be steered gently after Chan, Changbin's guidance being just as supportive as it had been before the festival. The older only let his hand drop once they were all crouched just behind the door together, and Chan's fingers were wrapped steadily around the handle. 

Seungmin dared to shoot one final glance over his shoulder, and took in the sight of the others. Jisung had wrapped a blanket around his shoulders, and was leaning against Hyunjin's side as the pair mutely watched Jeongin set up another, slightly larger computer. Jeongin's gaze rose from the screen momentarily to meet Seungmin's eyes, and suddenly Seungmin understood what Hyunjin meant about the air getting a little too warm when they were all bunched together in the back. 

Conflict flashed over Jeongin's face, and Seungmin watched with an increasing heartrate as the younger's lips parted, as if he was about to say something- 

Chan opened the door, and Seungmin was being dragged out by Changbin before he could even process what was happening. 

He blinked against the dying sunlight, caught off-guard by the overwhelming livelihood of the street. Just as it had every time before, the van had created a dark cocoon of security, and so to step from it into the outside world remained a jarring experience.

It was purely the contrast which made the road seem so spirited, however. Hyunjin had been right: there wasn't a single person walking down either side, and the houses all appeared to be deserted. It was the simple whistling of wind through the bushes which greened the buildings that gave the place life, along with the ever-moving shadows which were cast out across the ground by the setting sun behind them. 

'Peaceful' was the only proper way to describe it. That was hardly what Seungmin had been expecting from a neighbourhood housing a division of one of the most dangerous gangs in the entire country, but he had long-since learned that appearances didn't always speak true to character. 

" _Their base is relatively close, you'll only have to take one_ corner." Jeongin's voice came through the earpiece, so steady that Seungmin wondered if he had imagined the split-second of hesitance before Changbin had tugged him away. " _Just keep going down this road, and I'll tell you when to turn._ " 

Seungmin shook his head, trying to clear his mind of any lingering thoughts that weren't related to the mission. Changbin kept a careful hand on his shoulder as they began to move away from the van, following a few paces behind Chan in front of them. Fearful adrenaline built in Seungmin's chest with every step they took, and he was thankful for the grounding presence of Changbin at his side. 

Chan looked so much lonelier than he had at the festival, Seungmin thought, without Hyunjin there alongside him. Back then, Chan had put on a carefree and relaxed façade, skillfully adjusting himself to the atmosphere of that night. Whereas, in the present, his shoulders were hunched with guardedness, and he walked with a step that demanded respect. They weren't trying to fit in this time; they were trying to leave an impression and show that they weren't to be underestimated. 

Seungmin hoped that, one day, he would be able to control his appearance as much as Chan could. He was sure that he didn't look threatening at all, with Changbin lingering at his side, and blinking repeatedly against his fringe that his beanie was pushing down. 

" _Turn left now. The place you're looking for is on this road, I'll tell you when to stop,_ " Jeongin spoke again, his sentences short and clipped. At those words, Seungmin's eyes travelled up to gaze at the buildings they were passing by, his searching gaze lingering on every front door and signpost. Almost all of the windows were concealed by curtains.

" _Good luck, guys! Jinnie says it too._ " Jisung's voice was a stark contrast, almost breaking with emotion when he called through. Seungmin could practically picture the scene in the back of the van: the other three crouched anxiously around whatever device Jeongin was focused on, keeping an eye on the security footage from within the base. 

They all knew that any conversation via the earpieces would be one-sided as soon as Chan, Changbin and Seungmin stepped into the building. If they wanted to say anything, they would have to do so before the final direction from Jeongin. Yet Seungmin couldn't muster the strength to open his mouth, let alone raise a hand to turn on his earpiece and speak into the thing. 

"Thanks. We'll see you soon, yeah?" Chan risked making contact one last time, and Seungmin watched silently as the older's hand fell back down to his side in front, having momentarily lifted it to press against his ear. 

If Jisung had wanted to respond, it was cut off by Jeongin's announcement. 

" _You're there. The one on your right._ " 

Changbin's grip on Seungmin's shoulder tightened as they came to a stop. Seungmin bit down harshly on his lip and turned, taking in the sight of LK's supposed headquarters. Once again, he was stunned by just how underwhelmingly simple it was. 

It was the largest building on the street, although that wasn't saying much given how compact everything appeared. Dividing alleyways were barely anywhere to be seen, and the road was cluttered on both sides by what Seungmin thought was the maximum number of constructions that could be squeezed in. The particular structure that Jeongin had singled out for them was no different, and had a claustrophobic look to it where it rested between two equally close-packed buildings. 

The windows were coloured with a blue tint that made them translucent, and Seungmin was disappointed to find that he couldn't see through them. Grey concrete composed most of the building; no effort had been taken to paint it, and it seemed lifeless. 

" _I'm going to auto-mute your channels now, but we'll still be here. Just press on the earpiece i you need to say something, and be careful._ " Jeongin sent out one final message, and then a sensation of isolation settled on Seungmin. He cursed his previous indecision, and wished that he had communicated one last time like Chan had, even if it was just to question whether they really were at the right place. 

The building barely looked like it could hold five people comfortably, let alone ten. And Seungmin had assumed that, given the wealth and prestige of Clé, the bases of their divisions would be a little more luxurious. Clearly, he was wrong. 

_What's really been happening here?_

Changbin's hand slipped from Seungmin's shoulder and travelled down his arm, from which it continued its descent to give his hand a final squeeze. Seungmin forced back the temptation to latch onto the older when Changbin pulled away a moment later. He knew that they had to appear aloof in front of whoever met them at the door, and so he hesitantly took a step back to put some distance between them. 

Chan cast a quick glance over his shoulder to check that they were ready. His eyes softened for a moment, and he gave Seungmin a small smile of encouragement, before he turned and led the way to the door. 

Seungmin followed instantaneously, not wanting to be left alone in the middle of the street. Even when they were walking towards danger, he felt safer with Chan and Changbin at his side than he would have waiting outside by himself. He pointedly fixed his gaze on the back of Chan's head as he walked, trying to focus on the steady presence of Changbin just behind him as opposed to the chill of the wind which tried to reach through his skin. 

Chan came to a stop just in front of the door, and Seungmin paused behind him. His expression wasn't visible, but there was a harshness to the way he raised his fist and rapped on the door's wooden surface. The sound cut through the otherwise eerie silence of the street, and Seungmin couldn't help but glance behind himself cautiously in the fear they had attracted the unwanted attention of anyone else. While the quietness of the area was a little unnerving, it was also the perfect environment they needed. 

His wandering eyes immediately snapped back in front of him when the door opened, and he almost lost his balance with the force with which he whipped his head around. 

_So much for threatening..._ He thought bitterly to himself, swallowing his embarrassment as he tried to regain his composure. 

Two people stood in the doorway to the building, their large frames blocking out most of the light which was attempting to escape out into the street. Seungmin couldn't see much, as Chan continued to stand in the way, but after subtly edging to the side, he managed to get a proper glimpse of them. 

There was a man and a woman, both wearing matching looks of disdain as they surveyed the three newcomers on their doorstep. The female had raised a condescending eyebrow at Seungmin's stumble, causing him to flush lightly and break eye-contact, once again cursing himself for his early mistake. Meanwhile, her companion's dark eyes were locked on Chan, his top lip curled in a silent, unfriendly question. 

Seungmin knew what the pair were wondering, simply by observing their expressions.

"What do you want?" The man demanded, and Seungmin's eyes trailed from his face to the large arm with which he was holding open the door. It looked like it would be able to snap his neck in seconds, so he blinked and desperately focused his gaze on the back of Chan's head once again. 

While he couldn't see Chan's face, he guessed that the blond wasn't looking any friendlier than the people in front of them were. His posture was relaxed, almost cockily so, but Seungmin had been around Chan for long enough to pick up on the marginal tensing of his shoulders. Chan was just as uncomfortable as Seungmin was, and he wasn't sure whether that was something to be relieved or worried about. 

"We want to see your leader." Chan's voice was steady, and cut through the silence of the street with confidence.

Seungmin couldn't help but raise his eyebrows at his friend's blatant demand. They hadn't really discussed how exactly they would get into the base; Chan had only said that he would assess the situation when they arrived, and decide the best route of action from there. Seungmin had felt completely prepared to launch into a battle right there on the doorstep, but judging by the lack of verbal threat, it wasn't something to worry about just yet. 

He forced himself to drop the hand which had been reaching towards the daggers in his inside pocket. 

The woman had folded her arms at Chan's words, and finally her stare had left Seungmin to wander inquisitively over Chan's face. There was a calculating edge to them, one which Seungmin didn't like the look of at all, but she didn't seem quite as fed-up as she had before. 

A long few seconds passed in which the groups did nothing other than stare, both sides equally searching of the other. No matter how hard Seungmin tried, he couldn't deduce the fighting prowess of the pair in front of him, or how hostile they were. Obviously they were part of Clé, given they hadn't shot down Chan's request immediately, but aside from that there was no connection to the tough and somewhat dim appearance of the members Seungmin had come to associate with the gang. 

Finally, a mutual agreement seemed to pass over the strangers, as they both took a step back from the door. 

"Fine," the man said, his voice grating with obvious distaste regarding his decision. "He'll make you forget anyway." 

Seungmin faltered, having been about to follow Chan's lead and step into the house. Those final five words had been said so nonchalantly that they'd almost gone straight over his head, and if he hadn't been paying attention to every little detail he doubted that he would have picked up on the silent promise of threat. Whatever 'forget' meant, Seungmin was sure that it wouldn't be a good thing. 

He suddenly felt extremely keen to see Chan's face, if only to get a little bit of the comfort that one of Chan's smiles usually gave him. Instead, he was only met with Chan's back as the older walked forwards, ascending the few steps leading up to the doorway. The woman had disappeared, while the man had retreated to the side so he could hold the door open for them to enter. Seungmin tried to get a good look at the inside of the house, but he could only see an empty corridor and an equally barren room at the end of it. 

Alarm bells were ringing in his head, and all he wanted to do was turn around and put as much distance between himself and the forebodingly average building. Nothing about the Western division had ever added up: their seeming lack of commitment to the rest of the gang; the way Jeongin had been able to get himself into their security systems without any trouble at all; their 'headquarters' being nothing more than a house on an antisocial suburban street, and the members standing guard willingly letting three strangers inside to 'meet their leader.' The man's final words had only pushed Seungmin over the edge, and he mentally clung onto the weight of his daggers in his inside pocket to keep himself from feeling too terrified. 

They were walking right into the enemy's base. 

Changbin passed by, carefully brushing their shoulders together. Seungmin inhaled sharply at the contact, meeting Changbin's gaze for a split-second. The older seemed to be desperately trying to convey something with his eyes, though they couldn't afford to interact for long, as the watchful stare of the man at the door was suddenly boring into their forms. With a final, subtle purse of his lips, Changbin pulled away and followed Chan inside. 

"All three of you?" A female voice - presumably that of the woman's - carried out from inside. The fact that she was hidden from sight didn't sit well with Seungmin, but he entered after Changbin all the same. 

"All three of us," Chan confirmed, the certainty in his voice momentarily providing an ounce of comfort to Seungmin. 

That was soon broken, however, when the man closed the door behind him. It was as though an invisible switch had been flipped, and suddenly the tension in the compact hallway had been intensified by a tenfold. Seungmin hadn't even seen the woman move, but before he could process what was happening, there was a bitingly cold metal pressed against his back. 

He stiffened on impulse, his limbs freezing. Changbin hissed out a curse through his teeth from the side, and Seungmin spared a quick glance to his left, feeling his eyes widen in horror at the glint of a gun's barrel pressed against the older's back. Judging by the pressure in the exact same place of his body, the woman had both of them held at her mercy. 

It was impossible to keep fear from immobilising him in that moment, and all Seungmin could do was stare at Changbin in desperation. They had obviously walked right into a trap, so why wasn't Changbin doing anything? He would be able to get them out within a second, and while it would mean he couldn't use his powers for the rest of the day, at least they wouldn't be in such a tight position anymore. 

Seungmin's panic only intensified when he caught sight of Chan in the exact same state ahead of them; the man must have moved from his place by the door to place his own gun at Chan's back. 

"Don't cause us any trouble and we won't to you," the woman said from behind, her breath tickling Seungmin's ear. It was all he could do to suppress a shiver. "This is just a precaution. It's wrong to hurt those who don't directly attack us, after all."

There was something in her voice as she spoke which unnerved Seungmin, almost as much as the freezing tip of the gun pressed against his back. It had taken on a significantly airy tone, lacking its previous sharpness whenever she had addressed them, almost as though she wasn't quite processing the words as she spoke them. 

Seungmin's eyes flitted to Changbin once again to see if his friend had picked up on the same thing, but couldn't get a proper glimpse of him from behind his hood. Fighting the growing nausea in his stomach, Seungmin swallowed and angled his head forwards, finding that he couldn't gain as much comfort from the back of Chan's head as before, now that the weapon directed towards the blond's back was all he could focus on. 

"You wanted to see him, so that's where we're gonna take you," muttered the man, so quietly that Seungmin almost missed it over the roaring of blood in his ears. 

He was suddenly hyper aware of everything around him, and wondered if that was how Hyunjin felt all the time. As they began to walk, Chan being roughly shoved forwards in the direction of the room at the end of the hallway, the chill of the gun was the only thing dominating his consciousness. Momentarily, his thoughts drifted back to the three they had left in the van, and he wondered whether Jeongin could see everything that was happening on the security footage. He couldn't help but listen out hopefully, just in case one of them would send a soothing message through his earpiece, but was met with a grueling silence. 

His eyes scanned the features of the building's interior as they went, doing anything he could to distract himself from their current predicament. He took in the peeling paint and bare walls, the boarded up windows and dusty floor. It looked utterly abandoned, and certainly wasn't the place one would expect the leader of a gang division to live, though the entire experience had taught Seungmin not to believe too much in stereotypes. 

They entered the room at the end of the hallway which Seungmin had caught a glimpse of before. It was just as empty as he had thought it would be, with a simple couch lying in one corner. Seungmin's eyes lingered on it, and he internally berated himself for not making more of an effort to look at the images of the base on Jeongin's computer before leaving the van. He had no idea if what they were seeing really was it, or if there was something else hidden away. 

He almost tripped over his own feet when he was shoved harshly from behind, causing Changbin to let out a low growl of protest. While he had been taking in the room, he hadn't noticed the man leading Chan towards a door that had been hidden from the hallway. As Seungmin and Changbin were pushed after their friend, Seungmin finally realised what had seemed so off about the building's exterior. 

It was a deception. 

Much like their bunker, it was plain and run-down on the outside - barely worth a second glance as was the intention. Even the first impression of its interior was a mundane one, and would be so unattractive that any innocent trespasser would probably leave purely out of disinterest. 

Seungmin's eyes landed on the door as the man pushed it open, then herded Chan through. Whatever was through there was the equivalent of the underground area of their bunker, and Seungmin felt his heartbeat quicken in anticipation. 

_This_ was what he had been expecting. 

When he and Changbin were ushered through the door side-by-side, a process that was hardly elegant given it was only wide enough for one, it was as though he had stepped into an entirely different building. 

The previously bland walls were suddenly painted with a smooth minty green colour, and would have been quite pleasing to the eye if Seungmin hadn't been so caught up in his sense of foreboding. They descended a wide staircase as the doorway revealed a spacious corridor, which could have passed as a completely separate room if it hadn't been for the doors leading off from it. The floor had been transformed from dusty wooden planks to a soft carpet, and their steps were soundless as they walked upon it. 

Seungmin's eyes drifted up to the right-hand corner at the end of the corridor, in which sat a blinking security camera. He couldn't help the wave of relief that washed over his features at the sight of it, and knew that at least the others in the van would be able to see them again.

A grim calmness was beginning to settle over his mind as he finally was introduced to the environment he had been anticipating, and knew that the base wasn't quite as unconventional as he had originally thought. They were simply trying to keep a low profile by having a small number of members there, and a basic building as their accommodation. 

The only remaining mystery was that of their leader himself. 

As they reached the end of the corridor, Seungmin became aware of a door opening a little further behind them. He risked a glance over his shoulder, and was met with the sight of five other gang members falling into place behind them. Seungmin managed to take note of the guns glinting in their hands before his head was forcibly shoved back towards the front, the woman muttering a short curse of disdain towards him. He gritted his teeth against the anger which boiled within him at the comment, and concentrated on the clear-headed focus it provided him. 

They were about to meet the leader, it seemed, so they would be fighting soon enough. Seungmin wanted to feel as distasteful of his enemies as he could before they did. 

Finally, they came to a stop outside of a wooden door. Patterns were carved intricately into its surface, but Seungmin didn't have time to decipher them before the man handling Chan knocked his fist somewhat impatiently against it. 

"Come in," a voice called out from within, and Seungmin felt mildly surprised by how soft it was. 

The man opened the door and pushed Chan in, then followed and cleared the way for Seungmin and Changbin. With a harsh nudge from the gun, which Seungmin was beginning to feel less and less threatened by, they were forced into the room themselves. 

Seungmin, unfortunately, couldn't see much at first. Chan and his holder were standing in front of him, meaning only the two large bookcases in the corner were visible to begin with. Out of the corner of his eye, Seungmin took in two more members standing to his left, and the silhouette of one more on Changbin's side. There were five outside the room and five inside, including the pair who had guided them down - ten, just as they had predicted. 

That was sparing the leader, who Seungmin was still yet to see. 

"These three came looking for you, Lee," the man informed, nodding down towards Chan. Seungmin perked up as Chan gave a light roll of his shoulders, immediately picking up on the silent signal that they would be fighting soon. He also took interest in the name that had been spoken: Lee.

With a jolt, he realised that perhaps the initials didn't stand for an object or a concept as the other divisions' did, but a name. 

"Let me see them all, then. Hurry up," commanded the same soft voice, although it was sharpened with impatience. The man didn't waste any time in roughly nudging Chan to the side, all the while keeping the threatening presence of the gun at his back, and made room for Seungmin and Changbin to step forwards. 

And Seungmin finally let his eyes land on the leader of the West division. 

The person in front of him had astonishingly delicate his features, and Seungmin found his expectations had once again been completely disproved. Dark eyes surveyed him with a searching intensity, and a curved bottom lip was bitten down on in thought. Seungmin took in the other's neatly styled hair, and felt himself begrudgingly in awe of the almost silvery sheen to it, though that could have been down to the lighting of the room. 

Letting out a small, curious sigh, 'Lee' leant forwards in his seat. He rested an elbow against the desk in front of him and propped his head up in one hand, his eyes travelling from Seungmin to hover on with Changbin with equal inquisitiveness. 

_The desk,_ Seungmin realised with a glimmer of amusement. _Jisung was right._

"How did you find me?" The person asked, his gaze flitting back to Chan to accompany his question. He seemed to have deduced that Chan was the equivalent of their own leader, and viewed the blond with a little more interest than he had Seungmin and Changbin. 

Seungmin didn't feel jealous at all; the gaze he had been fixed under had been intense enough in itself. 

"What do the initials 'LK' mean to you?" Chan responded with an inquiry of his own, which seemed to amuse the person sitting at the desk. His lips twisted into a subtle grin, and his eyes narrowed in an almost feline-like manner. He leant back into his chair, though one hand remained on the desk to thrum lightly on its surface. It was recognisable enough for Seungmin, and he knew that he truly was standing before the head of Clé's Western division.

The leader looked as though he was about to say something else, but the agonised scream of the man holding onto Chan interrupted him. 

Seungmin's head snapped towards the sound, and suddenly the air was full of the pungent scent of burning flesh. His wide-eyed stare landed on the sight before him: Chan wrestling himself from the hold of his captor, whose entire left arm was now alight with a burning flame. 

And Seungmin knew that the time had come. 

The surprised gasp of the woman behind him reached his ears, but it was soon replaced by a pained one as he kicked back and sent her sprawling to the ground with a hard impact to the knees. Within a second, Changbin had whipped around and sent a bullet through her skull. 

Seungmin didn't have time to flinch at the noise, or try to shield himself from the spray of blood which was cast up towards his face. He reached into his inside pocket and latched onto the handle of the first dagger he found, bringing it out with a controlled flick of his hand. It soared into the air, and he immediately caught it with a sharp glare, then sent it towards one of the other members who had been standing towards the left of the doorway they had just entered through. It impaled itself into the man's chest before he could even try to reach for his own weapon, and Seungmin pulled it out again with a tiny flick of his head. 

Dimly, he was aware of the resounding bang of another gunshot from Changbin's direction, and the heat of the inferno Chan had conjured up to block the doorway. His attention was mostly focused on the remaining member, however, who had just raised their own gun to aim in his direction. 

Seungmin very almost felt sympathetic, before he drove his knife into their chest with a repetitive precision. They dropped to the floor and their gun clattered to the side, having not fired a single shot. 

He channeled his adrenaline, pivoting on his feet to face the leader once again. His dagger remained locked in his sight, and Seungmin sent it flying towards the throat of the one sitting at the desk. 

He wasn't sure quite how close he got to cutting skin, but judging by the whimper and sudden paling of the other, he had left it the perfect distance. 

Changbin came up to his side, brushing their shoulders in a familiar grounding gesture. Seungmin couldn't tear his eyes away from the leader, else he would lose the positioning of his dagger, but he could tell that Changbin was unhurt out of his peripheral vision. The older didn't even seem to be out of breath, and Seungmin didn't feel any exhaustion either. 

Their entire takeover had been astonishingly easy. 

"Chan's just dealing with the ones outside," Changbin told him quietly, and Seungmin's ears just about picked up on the muffled sound of yelling over the crackling of the flames in the doorway behind them. He could only hope that Jisung and Hyunjin hadn't been watching the entire battle over the cameras, as he wasn't quite sure how squeamish the pair were. Even he felt an uncomfortable shiver pass down his spine at the lingering smell of burnt flesh, and wanted to be out of the room as soon as he could. 

They would just have to deal with the leader as quickly as possible, and then be done with the entire thing. 

While keeping his eyes focused on the dagger, Seungmin took note of the expression on the other's face. He appeared to be terrified, of course, but there was also another emotion which Seungmin couldn't quite name. For a moment, Seungmin could have sworn that his mouth twisted into a small grin, but it was gone before he could question whether or not he had imagined it. 

The heat from behind him suddenly vanished, and a second later Chan stepped up on Seungmin's other side. He seemed a little worse for wear than Seungmin and Changbin, but only because there was a light wheeze to his breaths, and Seungmin was sure that Changbin would have said something if Chan was injured. So he upheld his stony gaze on the dagger, keeping his expression cool and composed as Chan placed an encouraging hand on his shoulder. 

Silence settled over the four, a jarring contrast to the screaming, crackling of fire and horrendously loud gunshots from before. The leader's eyes flitted between the three of them again, before they finally settled on Seungmin. Even in the hopeless situation he was in, he still managed to look somewhat dignified, and glanced down towards the tip of the dagger with a raised eyebrow that was almost impressed.

Seungmin was frustrated to find that he still felt a little unnerved by him, even when he was clearly trapped and facing death. 

"Alright, then..." Chan said slowly, his hand falling from Seungmin's side. "Let me start again. We-" 

" _Wait!_ " 

Seungmin was so startled by the sudden sound of Jeongin's voice that he almost lost focus, and the dagger wavered hazardously in its position. The leader finally looked truly fearful for a moment, although Seungmin didn't take any satisfaction in it, as the urgency in Jeongin's tone was the only thing on his mind. 

" _Don't do anything, don't..._ " Jeongin trailed off, although his channel remained on as Seungmin could hear hurried typing in the background. He strained his ears for Jisung and Hyunjin, to at least try and get an idea of what was going on while Jeongin left them hanging, but was left with nothing. " _There's something you guys need to know._ " 

Chan had stiffened visibly at the interruption, while Changbin had begun to take some steps towards the doorway, as though he was preparing himself to run back to the van. Seungmin felt his fingers begin to twitch with impatience, and he was about to raise a hand to press against his own earpiece when Jeongin spoke again, his voice slightly calmer than it had been just before. 

" _I don't really know how to explain this; it makes a lot more sense if you see it, but... There's something really, really strange going on here. You shouldn't kill him until we know what's happening, and I’m not even sure if you should anymore. Trust me."_

Seungmin’s confusion and agitation was only intensified at that, and his eyebrows knitted together in a frown. The leader glanced between the trio in front of him, seemingly confused about their sudden pause, while Chan and Changbin exchanged a worried look from just behind Seungmin. 

"What do you mean, 'strange?'" Chan asked finally, once the quiet became a little too much for all of them. 

There was another prolonged pause, and the dagger wobbled again with Seungmin's wavering focus. 

" _It does just_ _make a lot more sense if you see it, but..._ " Jeongin was speaking slowly, as if he was still attempting to make sense of whatever it was he was trying to inform them of. Seungmin felt his suspicion towards the leader return, and hoped that finally they might get to the bottom of what set the Western division aside from the others. " _It's weird. I've been going over the past security footage, and I've found multiple instances where things just don't seem to be right. Occasionally one of the members will look like they're having a complete meltdown, but as soon as the leader comes along, they... mellow out. I don't know how else to describe it._ " 

Seungmin's mind travelled back to the words of the man before he let them inside of the building. 'He'll make you forget anyway.' All of his confusion mounted towards the suspicious pacifism of the pair who had guided them down, swearing that they were unable to ‘hurt those that don’t directly attack.' He recalled the unnerving airiness of the woman's voice as she had said so. 

It was almost as though they were under a charm. 

When the group in front of him continued to remain silent, despite his astonishingly calm looks of curiosity, the leader cleared his throat pointedly. 

"I think a good place to begin may be introductions..." He said slowly, his voice considerably more cautious than it had been before. His eyes drifted towards Chan, before they landed on Seungmin once again. "My name is Lee Minho. I would say it's a pleasure to meet you, but I sense that might not be an appreciated comment, given our circumstances."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !Please read! 
> 
> So this is an important note regarding my upload schedule! Previously I stated that I should be getting a chapter out every week, but I'm afraid that's going to have to be adjusted a little for the coming weeks... My country is beginning to open up again, so I'm (very sadly) going to be stuck indoors a lot less, and will have to leave the house more. *sigh* This does mean that I won't have as much free time to write for a while, so updates may slow :( 
> 
> Please note that I will continue to update whenever I can! I'd hope to get a chapter out every two weeks, but if I don't please do not panic! I'm still extremely passionate about this fic, and am not prepared to drop it anytime soon. This is just a word of warning for future updates! 
> 
> (You can stop reading here now if you want, hehe) 
> 
> But here we have Minho, at least! Now 7/8, just one more to go... Congratulations to those of you who guessed 'LK' stood for Lee Know last chapter! His current stance is still a little ambiguous, but we'll hear his story soon enough... 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and for all of the heart-warming feedback! We have hit 200 kudos now, wooo! :D Have a good day!
> 
> And please feel free to contact me on Twitter @beanwillstay
> 
> <3


	11. {11}

Despite his somewhat disinterested outlook on life, Minho didn't really want to die, especially at the hands of the trio in front of him. They were undeniably intriguing, and not only because of the dramatic showcase of abilities he had just witnessed, although he did wish that the blond one - Chan, he recalled - hadn't left his doorway in such a charred mess. That notion was the only thing keeping him from opening his mouth and getting himself out of there; the dagger positioned just in front of his throat still gleamed with the blood of his guards, a jarring reminder of exactly what its wielder could do. 

So, instead of using one of the many phrases which he had conjured up in his mind during the past minutes, Minho simply introduced himself. 

It took no genius to note that the three didn't trust him at all, and it was for good reason. Minho didn't trust them either, but he could at least recognise that he was the one at their mercy, and therefore would have to do the obeying for the moment. 

He wasn't quite sure what had suddenly caused the group to hesitate, and why it had shaken up the brunet enough for his control over the dagger to falter. Minho had been tempted to ask him (not so politely) to drop the weapon if he wasn't capable of keeping it steady, but had bitten his tongue and watched curiously as Chan had raised a hand to his ear. Judging by his following words, he was talking to someone elsewhere, upholding a conversation which Minho could only hear one side of. 

That led Minho to come to another conclusion which piqued his interest regarding the three unusual strangers standing in front of him. 

_Are there more?_

So, ignoring the glares of heightened suspicion that he was being fixed under, Minho confidently spoke his name into the tense silence of the room. He even added a little witty comment to try and get the others to loosen up, although judging by their prolonged frowning, he hadn't succeeded. 

When they continued to stare at him, almost as if they were expecting him to do something else, Minho was tempted to roll his eyes. He no longer felt quite so intimidated by the glint of the dagger hovering in front of his throat, as the brunet harnessing it appeared a lot less threatening all of a sudden. 

Taking advantage of their stillness, Minho allowed his gaze to roam across the group, noting little features that might provide him clues as to their backgrounds. The more he studied the one in the middle, the less agitated he felt about the blade. Its handler seemed to be slightly younger, and his eyes glinted with the rush of adrenaline. His features were soft and youthful, and while there was an assertive air about him, Minho was able to recognise that behind the composed exterior, he was cautious of Minho. And that gave Minho power. 

The ones he was more concerned about were the two standing to either side. He had already seen what Chan could do, and couldn't deny that a raw horror had gripped him as he had watched the restrained fire completely take hold of his base. As soon as he had laid eyes on the blond, he had recognised the tensed shoulders and guarded stare of someone who was more than used to such dangerous environments. He didn't doubt for a second that Chan had experience with people like him, and even if they didn't quite have the same benefit he did, it was enough to set him on edge. 

Meanwhile, the smallest of the three hadn't done anything in particular to capture Minho's attention just yet. He held the same identical look of suspicion that his companions did, but Minho hadn't seen an obvious display of power from him, although he had showcased quite a bit of skill with a gun. The excess of unknowns regarding him were what intrigued Minho the most; he knew that someone with the survival instincts Chan seemed to have would never let a 'powerless' person so close, and so he guessed that the smaller was just biding his time. That was enough to make Minho to see him as a threat. 

"We're going to ask you some questions now." An unexpectedly smooth voice came from the brunet's mouth, and Minho couldn't prevent the surprised quirk of his eyebrow. Any amusement was soon wiped from his face however, as he watched the dagger draw a millimeter closer. "Answer them truthfully and with detail. If you don't, I'll drive this through your throat."

Despite the looming threat, Minho felt a corner of his lips twitch up into a humourless smirk. He was sure that the younger had no idea of the irony of his words. 

"I don't doubt that you will," Minho responded, painting an obviously-fake smile onto his face. The other's jaw clenched in frustration, and a satisfaction flickered in Minho's chest. "Although, I'm sorry to say that I might struggle to answer your questions well when there's a dagger so close to my throat. I can feel it every time I speak, and it's just a little off-putting." 

A pair of distrustful eyes narrowed at Minho's words, and for a second Minho wondered whether he had pushed his luck a little too far. Then, much to his silent relief, the dagger descended and repositioned itself just in front of his chest. It hovered right above his heart, which was beating slightly too fast for his comfort, but at least he could speak without having the unnerving coldness of metal brush against the skin of his neck whenever he swallowed. He had been entirely truthful about that; he wouldn't have done well to answer properly in such a state. 

That was, perhaps, the only thing Minho was afraid of: being unable to use his voice. 

"You talk a lot for someone who's supposedly feeling so uncomfortable," the brunet muttered, and Minho's smile widened into a genuine grin of amusement. 

"Might I ask for your names?" He said, keeping his gaze focused on the youngest one, as he rather enjoyed how the other appeared torn between being unnerved and annoyed by Minho's continued politeness. Over time the group seemed to be growing more uncomfortable by Minho's lack of concern towards the corpses of his gang members, and while Minho did feel a small ounce of regret over their deaths, he wanted to remain as puzzling to them as he could. 

He recognised that as his only route to survival. 

His question only resulted in more confusion, and Chan's eyes narrowed in obvious distrust. Minho wasn't sure whether he was suspicious, or had already caught onto the game Minho was trying to play. Either way, it wasn't the best sign, and Minho forced his expression to remain serenely calm. 

"Why would our names mean anything to you?" Chan prompted, folding his arms over his chest. Minho pointedly ignored the hostility of the searching glare he was fixed under, and gave another of his best smiles. 

"Because you know mine. And it's only good manners, isn't it, Chan?" 

Chan's eyes widened a fraction, and Minho cheered internally that his comment had been effective. Biting down lightly on his lip in confusion, Chan directed his stare towards the other two, who shuffled somewhat sheepishly on their feet. The smaller one had mentioned Chan's name in passing just before the fire in Minho's doorway had been put out, and even in his shocked state, Minho had taken careful note of it to be used later. Perhaps it was unempathetic of him, but as he had witnessed his only security being torn apart in front of his eyes, his mind had immediately tried to find any scenario that might end without his death. 

He seemed to have chosen correctly, as a bitter frown of resignation crossed over the face of the black-haired one before he spoke, his voice almost too quiet for Minho to hear properly. 

"I'm Changbin." His eyes had left Minho for the first time, and instead were gazing at the brunet with a mixture of concern and apology. A small part of Minho almost felt touched, as he realised that Changbin was giving the other the freedom to make his own decision. 

Numbly, Minho wondered what it must be like to have such a trusting relationship with someone, but he soon pushed those meaningless thoughts to the back of his mind as the final one spoke up. 

"And I'm Seungmin." 

Nodding slowly to himself in contentment, Minho sat back and surveyed them. They only looked more distressed that he knew their names, unsurprisingly, but he felt a lot more peaceful upon the revelation. He couldn't deny that they were extremely interesting to him, and Minho's heart tugged at the realisation that he wasn't truly the only one with such a gift. Theirs were quite different from his, of course, but it was enough to strike hope in Minho that he might finally have the chance to share something with another person. 

That idea was dismissed within seconds, however, when he remembered the toxic contamination which would rot away at every relationship he had tried to build in his life so far. 

His gaze snapped up from the table when Chan cleared his throat, the sound cutting through the weighted silence which had once again settled over the room. Minho hoped that his expression was as lax as it had been before, and he threaded his hands together on his lap to try and prevent the frustrating tremble which had begun to possess them. 

Chan opened his mouth to speak, but Seungmin beat him to it, his previously silky voice shaking with a sudden emotion. The dagger dropped harmlessly into Minho's lap, as Seungmin's eyes travelled up to look into Minho's. 

And Minho felt his breath hitch in his throat, because all of the suspicion and distrust was _nothing_ compared to the genuine resentment on Seungmin's face. Minho hated that he was so affected by it, even if he couldn't explain why.

"I don't understand..." Seungmin said quietly, giving a small shake of his head to accompany his words. "You don't look scared or shocked at all. We just killed every other person in this entire base, and you don't even seem to care." 

Minho was very used to being labelled as emotionless, given what he could do, but for some reason it hurt more when it came from Seungmin. He didn't dare look at either of the other two, suddenly extremely fearful that he might be met with the same expressions. 

He could imagine how it must look to them - a close-knit group who clearly seemed to care about each other greatly. Even if they were on opposite sides, they recognised Minho's alliance with those who they had just murdered, yet he had barely batted an eyelash at their own demise. Minho almost felt disgusted by himself for it, although he had long since passed the point of caring about the lives he could twirl around his finger with the power of only a few words. People were no longer interesting to him, it was as simple as that, and it was impossible to feel affection for anyone when the entire world was disinteresting. 

_But it isn't. You just don't deserve relationships, not with what you can do._

And then, Minho realised just why Seungmin's words had shaken him so much. Ever since he had laid eyes on the trio, he had felt nothing but curiosity towards them. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so genuinely interested in someone before, and as his thoughts finally caught up with his feelings, he decided that he wasn't going to let them out of sight until he absolutely had to. 

"You did come to speak with me, so I assumed you would wish to talk before you killed me," he said slowly, the words slipping from his tongue with practiced ease. He kept his gaze on Seungmin's face, watching carefully as the other's eyebrows drew together with concentration when he continued, "And as for the members... I can replace them easily enough."

Despite the coldness of his words, Seungmin's expression lightened slightly. It was more relieving than Minho would have liked to admit; the pressure which had built in his chest upon the contemptuous scrutiny promptly dissipated. Seungmin's eyes narrowed, though in a more curious fashion, and he once again looked intrigued by Minho, as opposed to disgusted. 

"You make it sound easy," Chan commented, and Minho turned his attention towards the blond. "How have you been keeping control over the members here?" 

The way he had worded it suggested that he knew more than he was letting on, and Minho's gaze drifted up to his ears, which were concealed by his light curls. Minho was only feeling more confident with the thought that they weren't alone, and that someone else was watching, or at least knew enough about him and his system to give Chan such an idea. Almost unconsciously, Minho's eyes flitted momentarily up towards the security camera which he had positioned in the corner of his office. 

"Well..." Minho said slowly, picking his words carefully. He'd been anticipating this moment, as the way he answered would almost certainly dictate whether or not he survived. He could easily connect the group in front of them with the abnormal powers they seemed to possess, and so with one of his own, his only hope of gaining their trust would be by revealing them. The main problem was that, with what he could do, he probably would reveal himself to be the least trust-worthy person on the face of the planet in their eyes. "It's quite a complicated process, but you did ask specifically for the _how._ And there's one factor which greatly outshines the others."

Curiosity electrified the room's atmosphere. He forced himself to look ahead, meeting the gaze of each of them individually before finally regaining eye-contact with Chan, sensing that it was his trust that would be the hardest to gain. 

"To put it simply, every lie I tell becomes the truth to whoever hears it." He had never actually described his ability aloud before; his iron-grip on the members of his division had been self-explanatory, and he had manipulated all of the suspicion out of them very early on. Unfortunately, as he spoke, he realised the main flaw to what he had said. 

Changbin pointed it out moments later. 

"What if you're just lying to us now?" The smaller inquired, though his stare conveyed none of the disbelief Minho believed his statement might be met with. And that question was easy enough for him to respond to. 

"Because if I really was using my powers to lie to you, then you would believe it without a second thought. And it appears you're all still quite suspicious of me." Minho smiled as Changbin's jaw slackened in realisation, feeling an indulgent smugness at the other's obvious confliction. Chan continued to regard Minho with a guarded look - which had only become more withdrawn - but Minho knew that he well and truly had them interested. 

Changbin groaned a second later, turning away and rubbing an exhausted hand over his face. "God, I'm tired of this already. Your mind-games are making my head hurt."

Minho bit down on his lip in amusement, but couldn't refrain from letting out a small breath of relief when some of the tension in the room dissipated. Changbin's frustration had bled through his previously cold façade, and with it part of Chan's stiffness seemed to go too. The blond exchanged his weight onto his other foot, and while his gaze remained on Minho, it had softened by a margin. 

The only one who hadn't changed their manner in the slightest was Seungmin. The brunet continued to surprise Minho. 

"How do we know we can trust you, then?" His tone was as sharp as the weapon which had come to rest on Minho's lap, and as Minho didn't have any idea how Seungmin had managed to levitate it, he felt quite hesitant to move it himself. "What if you're just using your powers to manipulate us into believing you?" 

Minho clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth; that accusation was a lot harder to put down than Changbin's had been. He found that there wasn't an answer, and he couldn't come up with an excuse which would sound acceptable to any of their ears. 

Seungmin didn't show any satisfaction towards Minho's lack of response, and Minho could only watch helplessly as the walls between them grew thicker. Usually it was so easy for him to get through to someone, simply pushing his way into their mind and controlling their every action, but somehow he didn't feel prepared to try it out with any of the three in front of him. It was an unnerving hesitation that he couldn't have imagined before. 

"I suppose I could be," Minho admitted, keeping his tone level in order to cover up his layering panic. He leaned forwards in his chair, letting the dagger fall to the floor with a clatter, and rested his head on the upturned palm of his right hand. "You'll just have to trust me." 

"Let's say, hypothetically, that we do believe you," Chan said before Seungmin could get in another word. Minho glanced between the two, before he let his gaze rest on Chan. Much to his surprise, the other's suspicion appeared to have momentarily given way to a curiosity which mirrored Minho's, and suddenly it felt a little less like an interrogation and a little more like a meeting between two strangers who had similarities. "Is there any way you could prove it to us?" 

Minho almost winced at the question, although externally he frowned in apology. 

"I could, but doing so would only destroy the little trust you seem to have in me... And besides, it's hard for you to tell. Once I speak the lie, as far as you're concerned, it will always have been true. There's no way for you to know otherwise, or remember how things were before." 

He could practically see Chan's mind processing his words, and waited with anticipation for a reply. He found that, unexpectedly, he felt close to desperate to prove himself. Part of him was agitated by the unfamiliarity of it all, while the other was exhilarated. It had been a while since he had genuinely felt so... engrossed.

Seungmin exceeded Minho’s expectations yet again by being the one to speak, a look of realisation passing over his face as his lips parted. 

"Did you have anything to do with the members being so... passive?" He asked carefully, and suspicion left his gaze for the first time that evening. "I can't remember exactly what they said, but the two who brought us down here were very against hurting us... Something about-" 

"'Not harming those who don't directly attack,'" Minho breathed, finishing Seungmin's sentence when the other trailed off hesitantly. His eyes widened in recognition at Minho's words. Minho, meanwhile, leapt on the opportunity, taking Seungmin's surprise to his advantage. "I told them to do that; it was one of the first rules I instigated here. They forgot any previous mercilessness, and dedicated themselves to the belief that harming innocent, unhostile people was wrong. It explains why they moved to attack you, only once you struck one of them down first.

"Hence why you didn't have to kill them," he added, grimacing as he gave a quick look towards the bloodied corpses in his study. "If you'd just waited and told me whatever you wanted to talk about that, I could have made them forget everything without any problem. They didn't need to die." 

His mouth suddenly tasted bitter, and he swallowed to try and be rid of it. He hadn't cared for his members particularly, as they hadn't truly been people to him, but either way it was a meaningless loss of life that could have been prevented. With what Minho could do, even the most evil human being could be wiped clean and presented to the world as a new vessel. He could even plant good ideals in their minds and transform them into a charitable figure, or whatever he wished them to be. 

He hadn't tried something quite so ambitious yet, but knew that if he perfected his technique, he could manage it. That was what he had been working towards, of course, before the trio had turned up. 

"'Make them forget!'" Changbin exclaimed, appearing to come to a similar realisation to Seungmin. The pair exchanged an awed look, and Minho would have felt flattered if his mood hadn't been dampened so severely by the intensifying scent of death - which would take quite a while to wash out. "That's what they said to us before: that you would make us forget everything after our meeting." 

"So..." Chan spoke up before Minho could. "Your division of the gang hasn't killed a single person? You've just been keeping things under wraps here, lying your way out of the scrutiny of the other divisions, and wiping the memories of anyone who comes too close? That's why you've been so inactive?" 

Minho's frown deepened at that, and he felt the first twinges of irritation begin to tug at his chest. He'd been ignoring the unease he had felt towards the group's knowledge of him from the beginning, but as Chan continued to spurt observations that Minho had done his very best never to let leave the walls of his base, he bristled like a cat being threatened within its own territory. 

"How do you so know so much about me?" He shot back with a question of his own, figuring that after all of theirs, he deserved at least one for himself. His gaze travelled up to the blinking security camera, and he narrowed his eyes in an obvious glare, hoping to scare off the person he assumed was watching him from behind it. That was the only way so much could have been known about him, and he was growing more and more certain that the trio had someone on the outside who had been feeding information in. 

The timing of his thoughts couldn't have been more impeccable, as before any of the three could respond, they regained the far-off look which suggested their attentions had all been diverted elsewhere. Minho bit back a sigh of frustration and tapped his foot against the floor, uncaring about how his heel brushed against the hilt of Seungmin's dagger, and tried to remain patient as they listened to whatever he was deaf to. 

He tried to ignore the possibility of the petty anger in his chest being jealousy towards being left out of something; he hadn't even known them for half an hour!

_Besides, when did you start caring about others?_

To pass the time and distract himself from his own internal scolding, Minho tried to find a source to the message they were receiving. His gaze hovered over Seungmin's beanie, then travelled to Chan's hair. Feeling a small ounce of triumph, though it wasn't really rewarding, Minho confirmed his suspicion when a quick glance at Changbin revealed the smaller's ears were also concealed. That was how they were communicating with the outside world, at least, and Minho berated himself for not picking up on it sooner. 

A few more painful seconds of silence passed, before finally the group's focus returned to him once again. Changbin and Seungmin seemed to have gained a newfound urgency, as the pair began to retreat towards the doorway. Minho watched them go with a strange twinge of disappointment - while he knew that they weren't planning to stay for long, he had hoped that he could have learnt more about them before their departure. Chan was the only one to hover, his dark eyes roaming over Minho's form for an unnervingly long moment. 

"We need to leave now... Apparently there are sirens nearby, someone in the neighbourhood must have reported the gunshots," the blond said, and Minho wondered why Chan felt the need to tell him. He hadn't heard the sirens himself, and so was a little confused as to how they could have known emergency services were so close, but knew that he could handle anyone who came snooping around. 

He nodded at Chan's words, letting his gaze wander to Seungmin as the dagger on the floor slid out from beneath his desk, then obediently lifted itself into the brunet's waiting palm. Minho watched the action closely, trying to etch the memory into his mind to remind him of the unusual, yet utterly fascinating events of that evening. 

It was suffice to say that he would miss the trio, even if he didn't want to admit it himself. 

"Do you want to come with us?" 

Minho almost completely missed Chan's question, and only processed it when he became aware of the three expectant stares he was suddenly being regarded with. He felt his expression drop, and unwillingly allowed the first ounces of pure surprise onto his face as Chan raised a prompting eyebrow. 

Minho's voice was undeniably shaky as he breathed, "Say again?" 

Chan took a deep breath, as if he was still debating with himself over the offer, and turned his body towards the doorway in an obvious sign of haste. Changbin was already hovering out in the hallway, while Seungmin had stopped to give Chan a wide-eyed look of disbelief. Minho was sure that he appeared much the same; Chan's preposition continued to echo in his mind, and with every repeat he found himself feeling more emotion towards the words that he never could have imagined hearing. 

Despite the tension which was radiating from every visible muscle in his body, Chan's voice was astonishingly calm when he spoke. 

"It doesn't seem like you have much passion for crime, since you quite literally transformed gave every one of your members a sense of honour... And we're working to take down the gang you're a part of. If you disagree with their low and ruthless ways, then wouldn't it be best to join us? We can help each other: you can give us insider information about Clé, and we can provide the raw strength that you didn't have before." 

Perhaps it was Minho's own pride, or his discomfort with how accurately Chan had put together his motives while the other remained a frustrating mystery to Minho, but he frowned when it was clear Chan was expecting a more positive reaction. 

He had always had a barrier between himself and others, and while it had created a melancholic sense of loneliness, it had also made Minho invulnerable to things he had seen break other people. When everyone else's emotions and beliefs were so easy to manipulate, Minho found that individual personalities barely mattered to him, not when he could erase them with nothing more than a few words. 

Chan, however, had somehow managed to pass by all of that and create an image that Minho himself felt unfamiliar with, and that was more than a little disturbing, as Minho had long since decided that he was the only one to know his true personality. Chan, on the other hand, had seemed to come up with a concept of Minho being some sort of peaceful, reluctant antihero, who used his abnormal abilities to make people be the best that the could, all while putting himself at risk with one of the most dangerous groups in the country. 

While really... 

_You were just a scared boy who didn't know where to go. You're not a hero._

"You're right to say that I don't agree with Clé's motives, and wanted to keep them at bay with the position I managed to land myself in," Minho began through gritted teeth, taking no satisfaction in the hesitance which flitted across Chan's face. "But I was doing the job by myself, and I was doing it well. I don't need your help." 

"Then you weren't doing it fast enough," Changbin cut in, impatience sharpening his tone. Minho's eyes snapped away from Chan, and instead met the intense glare of the smaller, who was tapping his foot at a measured rhythm against the soft carpet of Minho's hallway. "Much like you're not making the decision fast enough now. We're leaving, so either come with us or keep moping around in your secluded office down here. I couldn't care less." 

Something in Changbin's expression told Minho that he did in fact, care quite a bit, but Minho was too preoccupied with trying to break the unexpectedly harsh eye-contact to think much of it. Changbin had perhaps been the least impressive of the three, lacking the collected and calculating leadership that Chan had, and the unpredictable sharp-wit of Seungmin, but Minho realised that perhaps he may have been underestimated. In the face of urgency, he clearly could be just as intimidating as his companions, if not more so. 

Minho pursed his lips, then stood very slowly from his chair. 

"Fine, but only because I want some answers of my own," he declared, stepping out from behind his desk. Three pairs of eyes watched his every move, but he didn't feel put-off by their lingering suspicion; he was becoming rather used to it. "And I hope you know that, if you do happen to hold me against my will in any way, I won't hesitate to fight back myself." 

His threat, though not the most subtle, was only greeted by a round of acknowledging nods. Thankfully, there was still a remaining distrustfulness between them; Minho would have been worried for them if they had immediately put their differences aside and fallen into a peaceful harmony. 

It was still quite the opposite, especially as Chan very pointedly attached himself to Minho's side as soon as he passed into the hallway after Changbin and Seungmin. Minho was sure that he wasn't imagining the sudden heightened temperature around him, and tried to ignore the memories of the charred corpse of his right hand man falling to the ground before his eyes. The bodies out in the hallway appeared to have died due to similar injuries.

As they walked in the continued tense silence, Minho took in the mess of his base for what he realised might well be the last time. The mint-coloured walls that he had decided on himself were charred beyond recognition, their flawless paint now darkened with burns and blood alike. Minho wasn't even sure how Chan had managed to create such disarray, and a resentful part of him wondered whether it had been an act of malice. Having spent almost all of his recent days underground, it was rather distressing to leave it in such a way, but Minho knew that there was nothing else he could do. 

Changbin led them up the stairs, then swung open the door which led into the barren living room that acted as a decoy. Seungmin took a step to the side and held the door ajar, and Minho pointedly ignored the other's stare as he passed through, leaving the massacre of his gang behind him. 

It almost felt like a walk of shame, and Minho bristled as Chan flanked him once again. He knew that the little gathering he had accumulated could hardly be called a 'gang,' but it was a system he had built up from nothing without the help of anyone else, and so to have it destroyed within a matter of seconds was more humiliating than he would have like to admit.

Minho sneered as they turned into the hallway. He had worked his way into a mindset that provided no room for mistake or challenge; he felt completely stable and in charge throughout every hour of every day. Now all of his work lay in shambles, and it was entirely because of the three strangers who were taking him to a location he didn't know the first thing about. 

With a mounting anger and sense of apprehension, Minho opened his mouth to command that the trio leave him alone and continue on their way. However, before he could, Changbin opened the front door and sent natural sunlight streaming past into the secluded corridor. The shorter stopped so suddenly that Seungmin walked straight into his back, and thus caught both Chan and Minho off guard as well. Minho muttered a curse under his breath and craned his neck to glance over Seungmin's shoulder, wondering what could possibly have caused the hold-up. 

His frustration dissipated immediately when his eyes landed on the policeman standing on the doorstep. 

Chan was gone from Minho's side within a second, gently coaxing himself past Seungmin, and came to stand beside Changbin at the entrance. The shorter paused for a moment, and Minho watched with interest as they exchanged a fleeting glance, before Changbin dipped his head and stepped back to stand in front of Seungmin. 

Minho could recognise the action as a protective one, and took a guess that Seungmin was, as he had considered before, the youngest of the three. His eyes drifted from their backs to the face of the man blocking the entrance, taking in the other's measured gaze and unmistakable uniform. 

"Sorry to bother you, but someone's reported gunshots coming from this building," he said slowly, his drawling voice filling Minho with a sense of boredom. He was obviously just doing as he had been told, with no apparent passion for his job, and so Minho knew that he was no threat to them. 

His gaze flitted back to Changbin and Seungmin in front of him, simply because he found the policeman so unbearably mundane, but was shocked by what he saw. 

Seungmin's arm had shot out to grip harshly onto Changbin's bicep, and Minho could almost see the whites of his knuckles through the strength at which he was clinging onto the shorter. It must have been painful, but Changbin didn't show any sign of hurt - rather he appeared just as tense as Seungmin, and his foot had begun to tap against the floor once again, though this time with a far more frantic rhythm. 

Blinking back a mixture of shock and horror, Minho was dimly aware of the stuttered response Chan gave the policeman in front of them. There wouldn't have been a problem, but for some reason the others seemed completely incapable of acting naturally around an officer. It was going to get them into unnecessary trouble. 

Minho wouldn't be able to say exactly what prompted him to move. He liked to think that it was for himself, and the hassle that would be caused if the policeman caught onto what had really happened, and made the entire situation into one that was out of Minho's hands. It also could have been because he, apparently, was the only competent one, and had to save the others from landing themselves in jail. 

Although, he knew that the emotion which had gripped him in that moment had undeniably been desire: desire to protect, not himself, but the intriguing group of three who had just thrown themselves into his life with an unforgettable amount of force. 

Retaining his cool look of composure, Minho slipped around Changbin's left and brought himself up beside Chan. He cleared his throat with purpose and took a pointed step forwards, edging himself a few inches closer to the policeman, and thus placing himself slightly in front of Chan. He could feel the astonished, and somewhat cautious, gazes of the others on the back of his head, but didn't let the weight of their stares affect him as he squared his shoulders and met the beady eyes of the officer. 

"We haven't heard anything at all," he lied smoothly, feeling a newfound confidence wash over his mind as his powers aligned themselves to his wishes. It was almost as if there was an unconscious part of him which knew exactly what to say, and the words flowed from his lips as though he had recited them many times before. "You received the call from the old lady living just a couple of doors away. She's half deaf, and sometimes her hearing aids act up and cause her to hear things that aren't really there. This isn't a location of concern at all, and you'll forget about us before the night is over."

For a long second, the policeman's face fell into an expression devoid of any emotion. A dazed sheen passed over his irises, and he seemed to focus on something just behind Minho's head, before his pupils dilated and his focus snapped back to the present. 

"Of course, I apologise for the disturbance," the man muttered, his eyebrows drawing together in obvious frustration. He brought a hand up to rub at the wrinkles creasing his forehead and took a few steps back from the doorway, then turned to begin making his way towards the car he had parked to the side of the road opposite them. He continued to mumble as he went and threw one final wave over his shoulder. "Stupid woman. Three times she's sent me out on these meaningless errands because she can't afford a pair of decent hearing aids. I don't get paid enough for this, I'm telling you..." 

Minho breathed a light sigh of relief, and watched calmly as the police car pulled away. His eyes followed it down the street, and only when it disappeared around a corner did he allow himself to turn around and face the others. 

Three bewildered faces stared back at him, and Minho felt a tiny twinge of pride in his chest. He was more thankful that they hadn't done more damage by acting as transparent as they had, and was fully prepared to shrug off the gratitude which seemed ready to spill from Chan's mouth. 

"Thank you," the blond murmured a moment later, and Minho tried to ignore the pang of emotion in his chest at the genuine look of appreciation he was suddenly being regarded with. 

"Don't mention it," he responded, the smoothness of his voice vanishing to be replaced with a more flustered mumble. He averted his eyes and clasped his hands behind his back, before stepping out onto the street and bouncing expectantly on the heels of his feet. "Now, are we going to leave or not? That guy shouldn't be coming back tonight, but I can't guarantee the same for his colleagues if they don't receive anything from him soon." 

His words seemed to break the others out of their motionless state of shock, and they followed him out of the house without further comment. Seungmin's gaze finally lacked any suspicion, although his face had paled significantly since the confrontation with the policeman, and Minho realised that perhaps there was something more regarding the brunet's obvious fear of the uniformed officer. 

He was tempted to ask, or perhaps even word his question in such a way that Seungmin would give him an answer unconditionally, but Changbin stepped between them before Minho could even begin to open his mouth. Dark eyes bored curiously into Minho's, before Changbin glanced away and looped his arm through Seungmin's, supportively beginning to lead the way down the street. Minho watched them go, feeling a strange sense of security that Seungmin had someone at his side while he was so shaken, before he lowered his gaze to the ground and began to follow them. 

The sun had set, leaving the road in a darkness that was broken only by the lone streetlights which lined the pavements on either side. A few windows sent yellow glows out to be cast across the concrete, but most people either seemed to be out or asleep. Minho had purposefully chosen the quiet and antisocial area for his base, knowing that he was less likely to be disturbed there. 

He couldn't remember how long it had been since he had ventured out at night, not because he didn't have the time or courage to, but simply because he couldn't be bothered. The outside world had also lost its beauty to him, ever since he had stopped believing that he could be happy in the environment it presented him with. 

Minho became aware of a now-familiar presence at his side, and didn't have to look up to know that Chan was watching him. The air was less tense between them than it had been before, as if Minho's stunt with the policeman had earned him a momentary stamp of approval from Chan, until Minho inevitably did something to break the fragile trust that had been formed between them. Minho knew that it was only a matter of time, but decided to make the most of Chan's unspoken comradeship while he had it. 

"Where are we going?" He asked, lifting his gaze to watch Changbin and Seungmin in front of them. They clearly knew which direction to take, and Minho hoped that the journey wouldn't be too long; it was a rather cold night, and he wasn't dressed suitably for it. 

"We have a ride that will take us back to our base," Chan replied simply. "When we get there, we can talk a bit more... I'm guessing you have some questions of your own. Then you can decide whether you want to stay, and we'll handle things from there." 

Minho nodded, feeling genuinely appreciative for how much information Chan had given him. Before the confrontation with the policeman, every one of his questions would be met with a rather short and clipped answer - the group purposefully restraining themselves around him. Finally though, it seemed that he had proven himself to be worth a more extended response, and Chan had even mentioned that Minho would get a chance to interrogate them a bit. That had been something Minho had been wanting to do ever since they had stepped into his study, and the desire had, of course, intensified greatly following what he had seen. 

"Although, I should probably mention..." Chan's voice, laced with a newfound cautiousness, brought Minho's attention back to the present. Minho glanced up at the blond's hesitant tone, and raised an eyebrow when he was met with a pensive grimace that almost looked like a plea. "There are three more waiting for us, and two of them at least are... a little inexperienced with all of this, let's say." 

Minho didn't have to ask what 'this' was, as judging by the concerned downturn of Chan's mouth, he meant the tense and confrontational atmosphere which had clung to them all evening. With every word that he was told, Minho's curiosity only mounted, and he desperately wanted to begin questioning. However, he decided to keep to Chan's plan, seeing as he apparently did have others to meet first. 

He wondered just how ‘inexperienced' they were.

"You want me to play nicely," Minho filled in, causing Chan's lips to purse in an indignant pout that very nearly made Minho laugh out loud. 

"I wouldn't say it like _that_ ," Chan protested weakly, although his lack of dismissal confirmed Minho's suspicion: Chan was worried to set Minho loose around the other members of his group. Minho tried to ignore the flicker of hurt he felt, and reminded himself that Chan's concerns were well-founded, given he had just considered using his powers on Seungmin to find out what the fuss about the policeman had been. "Just... They're not used to any of this, and get nervous pretty easily. Please just try not to-"

"Threaten or manipulate them, I've got you," Minho finished coldly. To his credit, Chan did wince at the bite to Minho's tone, and even gave him an apologetic glance. Minho shrugged; he understood why he had to be distrusted, and knew that it was only a natural instinct, especially for someone who appeared to have been through as much as Chan had. 

Minho was naïve to have ever thought that, just because he had found people with abilities like his, he could be truly accepted. 

He broke eye-contact, and fortunately Chan took up on the hint that their conversation was over. Minho had suddenly lost his eagerness to learn more, and instead was preoccupied with attempting to quench the bitter twist of emotions which was whirling in his chest. Chan didn't leave Minho's side, and whether it was out of guardedness or pity, Minho tried to convince himself that he didn't care. 

"Alright Jinnie, you can move back to the front now. We'll be there soon." 

Minho didn't glance up when Chan spoke again, though out of his peripheral vision he saw a flicker of movement as Chan's hand was raised up to press against his concealed ear. Forcing back his curiosity, Minho kept his eyes rooted on the ground below him, while taking careful note of the name which had just left Chan's lips. 

_Jinnie._ The first piece of information he had about the group which Chan was ever so desperate to keep safe from him. 

He was forced to look up when Changbin and Seungmin came to a halt in front of him. Chan disappeared from his side without another word, leaving Minho feeling oddly bare and vulnerable in the emptiness of the night. An involuntary shiver passed through his body, and he gritted his teeth against the chill. 

They had stopped just behind a plain-looking van. Its rear doors were closed, but Changbin had already separated from Seungmin and was standing in front of one of them with an arm outstretched. Minho caught a glimpse of Chan's hair disappearing around the side, followed by the sound of a door swinging open, and the following slam as it was shut. 

It wasn't the comfortable ride which Minho had been hoping for, but if it had some form of heating, he didn't mind too much. 

Changbin's eyes lingered on him, and Minho met his stare stonily, even as he rubbed his hands furiously at his forearms to try and keep them warm. He cooled his expression and gave a nod in the direction of the door Changbin was holding onto, trying to prompt the shorter into letting them take shelter from the cold of the night. Only when he pursed his lips in an obvious glare of impatience did Changbin concede, and reluctantly swung open one of the doors. 

Seungmin was the first one to step in, and soon disappeared into the concealed darkness of the van's interior. Minho waited until he was completely out of sight before stepping forwards himself, breezing past Changbin who watched carefully as he slid past the opened door and finally gained respite from the biting wind of the outside world. 

Letting a short hiss pass through his teeth, Minho dropped his arms back to his sides and took in the sight in front of him. 

It was quite hard to make out much, given the lack of lighting, but his eyes immediately travelled to the abnormally large tower of cases which had been piled against the closed door. Their shape didn't give anything away to him, and so he soon lost interest in them and looked further into the boot. 

Seungmin's silhouette was carefully picking its way across the floor, before he lowered himself down beside an indistinguishable mound. Minho narrowed his eyes at it to try and get a better look as Changbin stepped in behind him, and barely flinched at the loud slamming of the door. 

"This way," the other's rough voice reached Minho's ears, and he dragged his gaze away from Seungmin to watch as Changbin sat down against the wall on the other side of the vehicle. He had lowered his hood at some point, Minho realised, leaving his dark hair to be completely visible in the low lighting. His eyes glinted, and he patted the space beside him in an expectant manner. 

Minho grimaced; he didn't know how long their journey would be, but he could tell that it would hardly be a comfortable one. 

Slowly, he shuffled over and slid down beside Changbin. The coldness of the wall behind him seeped through his clothing, and he inhaled sharply at the chill which ran down his spine. The hardness of the floor was barely an issue compared with how cold he felt, and Minho desperately tried to curl himself up as much as he could, simply to keep heat in his body. 

It hadn't even been that cold outside! Minho's mind wandered back to Chan and his powers, and suddenly pieced together why the temperature had been so much warmer while they were walking together. He was suddenly desperate to be close to the blond again, but judging by the soft murmur of his voice from the driver's seat, that would be impossible. 

And he wouldn't dare ask Changbin to do something to keep him warm - he did have a little bit of dignity left. 

"Here, have this." 

An unfamiliar voice spoke up from the other side of the van, and Minho raised his gaze from his knees in an attempt to try to find its source. He blinked at the darkness, taking a second to let his eyes adjust, and then tried to ignore the wave of shock that passed over him at what he saw. 

The mysterious mound which he had seen Seungmin settle down nearby turned out to be almost entirely composed of blankets. They were piled in a nest-like fashion around three people, one of them who Minho quickly identified as Seungmin, while the others were unknown to him. One was leaning across and holding out a hand, and Minho's eyes glued themselves to the blanket which he was being offered. 

With uncharacteristic hesitance, Minho reached forwards and pressed the tips of his fingers into the soft fabric. It was warm, presumably from being used by those sitting opposite him. He tightened his hold, then tugged the blanket out of the other's grasp and brought it onto his knees. He would certainly make the most of it and its lingering heat, but before busying himself with that, he looked up to thank the person who had given it passed it over. 

A pair of wide, curious eyes stared back at him. Strands of dark brown hair partially fell over his face, while his rounded cheeks were softened in the subdued evening hue. His lips were curled into a small, somewhat apprehensive smile, although his gaze didn't show any obvious fear as he leant back and made himself comfortable against the wall. 

"Thank you," Minho said quietly, strangely aware of how silent the back of the van had become, even as the engine whirred into life at the front. He cleared his throat lightly, smoothing the edges of the blanket down as he tried to think of something more to say. "Um..."

"Jisung," the other supplied helpfully, settling back into position. "My name is Jisung." 

Minho nodded in acknowledgement, doing his best to get more comfortable as the van spurred into motion. He picked the blanket up from his legs and pushed himself forwards so that he could wrap it around his back, then drew the ends over his chest. It didn't provide instant relief, but at least he didn't have to deal with the mercilessly cold touch of the vehicle behind him anymore. He tucked his hands beneath the fabric, clasping them together, and kept his knees drawn close to his body. 

Changbin didn't pay any attention to him, and instead was fiddling with a small black device which he had slotted in his ear. Minho glanced at him for a moment, before drawing his gaze back to the empty space of floor in front of him. 

The silence made him greatly uncomfortable. It was blaringly obvious that the others wanted to say something, but were refraining from doing so because of his presence. It didn't make him feel very welcome, not that he was expecting to, but part of him wished that they would just get on with it and do whatever they liked. He didn't really care as long as it didn't involve him, and the awkward lack of conversation was almost enough to make him lie and reassure them that he wasn't there at all. 

He let his eyes close and rested his head back against the wall. The warmth of the blanket had begun to seep into his bones at that point, and he no longer worried that his shivering was too noticeable. 

"You must be Lee Minho." 

He opened one eye and looked across towards the other side of the van. The voice hadn't come from either Jisung or Seungmin, he knew, and so he directed his line of sight towards the remaining unnamed one, who was watching him with an honest curiosity. 

Sandwiched between the two others, he appeared to have accumulated most of the blankets. It was a rather comical sight, seeing him wrapped up in so many layers, and Minho felt oddly endeared by it. Extraordinarily light strands of hair were visible, even through the darkness, and there was a youthful yet intelligent glint to the other's eyes as he observed Minho. 

When Minho nodded in silent confirmation, the stranger gave a small grin, his dimples casting miniscule shadows across his face. "My name is Jeongin. It's a pleasure to meet you." 

Minho raised an eyebrow, both at the teasing undertones to Jeongin's airy voice, and also the playful curve of his smile. He was undeniably referencing something, and Minho's mind travelled back to the first words he had spoken directly to the trio after they had demolished every other living being in his base. 

_"I would say it's a pleasure to meet you, but I sense that might not be an appreciated comment, given our circumstances."_

It could have just been a coincidence, a simple and polite greeting from one person to another, but accompanied by Jeongin's knowing grin Minho decided to think into it more. He had always had an idea that somehow information from within his study had been getting out, and then was being fed to the Chan, Seungmin and Changbin, and seeing the latter fiddling with an earpiece before confirmed his suspicions. He hadn't been sure of how they were managing it, however, and that had been one of the most worrisome things for him. 

Minho found himself feeling strangely relieved at the thought that it had been Jeongin watching over and listening to their conversations. It was unnerving, yes, but there was no malice in the other's stare, and he seemed to share the same inquisitiveness that Minho still retained, even through his rapidly changing emotions. 

Concealing a grin of his own, Minho quietly returned the greeting. He was aware of Seungmin's narrowed glare from Jeongin's other side, and the wide-eyed stare with which Jisung had watched the entire interaction, but didn't care much. Jeongin didn't appear to either, as he leant back into his casing of blankets with a soft sigh of contentment. 

Minho directed his eyes back to the floor, then let them flutter closed. He knew that, while Jeongin and Jisung didn't seem quite as distrustful of him (they must not know the true extent of his powers yet), Seungmin and Changbin were still extremely wary of him. That meant it would be best if he appeared as inconspicuous as possible, avoiding any contact at all, and keeping himself to himself. 

He was more than content to do that; there was enough for him to think about, after all. 

He relayed the happenings of that evening, and tried to predict what it might mean for himself and the wreckage of the Western division. Chan had made it clear that he wasn't bound to the group just by choosing to go with them, and while he hadn't exactly been well-received by all of their members, he no longer doubted that they would let him leave their presence without too much of a confrontation. Getting out of his current situation wasn't a problem, it was fixing and maintaining his relationship with Clé that would cause him more trouble. 

It was still a little hard for him to process what he had just seen, but he didn't feel shocked or horrified by any of it. The unwarranted deaths would plague his mind for a while, he knew, but the others' powers hadn't astonished him, or even left him speechless. He had ones of his own, so it was only natural that at least someone else in the world would be able to do unnatural things too. It was just surprising that their paths had crossed in such a way, and with such dramatic impression. 

Only Chan and Seungmin had shown off what they could do, but he could already guess that Jeongin had some sort of connection with technology. He didn't have the faintest clue as to what abilities Changbin and Jisung possessed, and was yet to even meet the group's sixth member. 'Jinnie,' he recalled. 

That was yet another curious detail for Minho. The way Chan had spoken about the three left in the van, Minho had been expecting them to be utterly petrified of him, even if they were yet to know the hidden dangers of his powers. Although, upon meeting them, Jisung had given Minho a blanket and Jeongin had even made a subtle joke. They weren't quite the fragile youths that Chan had painted them to be, and Minho wondered what the other one sitting in the front was like. 

"Hey. Are you asleep?" 

Minho lifted his head, then slowly blinked open his eyes. Changbin's voice sounded a lot gentler in the hushed atmosphere that had settled in the back of the van, and Minho thought that he liked it a lot more that way. He wasn't sure if he had been asleep; his thoughts had begun to trail off and a lethargic quiet had filled his mind. 

"If I was then I'm not anymore," he mumbled, bringing a hand up to rub his face. He couldn't tell how long they had been travelling for, as the minutes had blurred together and he didn't have a watch on or a phone to check the time, but all of the tension had dissipated. It had been replaced with a peaceful hush, broken only by the sound of their wheels on the road and the steady breathing from the other side of the vehicle. 

Minho glanced over, taking in the three lowered heads. Seungmin's beanie had fallen off and lay on the blanket which covered his lap, while Jisung had slumped over onto Jeongin's shoulder. All three were very clearly asleep, and Minho realised why he might have managed to doze off, even in such an unfamiliar environment. It was oddly soothing, and Jisung's blanket had kept Minho warm and cushioned enough to be comfortable. 

"Sorry..." Changbin's sincere apology broke Minho from his thoughts, and he blinked the remaining dreariness from his eyes. He angled his head so that he could get a better look at Changbin, who hadn't moved from his slouched position against the wall on Minho's other side. "I just wanted to ask you something, if that's alright?" 

It was a little startling - for Changbin to have changed his demeanor from the somewhat cold and distant figure Minho remembered, to the well-mannered and almost sheepish person who Minho now found himself talking to. 

Considering that he might be dreaming, Minho squinted into the darkness. Changbin's face was just the same: dark hair, pronounced features and sharp eyes, but there was a certain sense of vulnerability about him that Minho wouldn't have associated with him before. Minho straightened his back and pulled his blanket tighter around him, sensing that he had a chance to get past the previously-unmovable walls that Changbin had put between them. 

When Minho didn't say anything to dismiss his request, Changbin carried on in the same cautiously hushed tone. Minho realised, with an unidentifiable emotion, that this would be something to be kept between the two of them; there was no way for Changbin to act so secretive if not. 

With his interest piqued, Minho leaned in to catch Changbin's next murmur. 

"Do you know who I am?" 

That wasn't what Minho had been expecting. He blinked, taking in Changbin's earnest expression, and realised that the other was being completely serious. 

"No... I mean, I know who you are _now_ , but I didn't before... I'm sorry- what do you mean by that?" Minho whispered back, too surprised to care about his stuttered answer. Changbin's question had caught him completely off-guard, and he impulsively began shifting through his memories, trying to place whether their paths had ever crossed before. He couldn't remember much about his social life before he joined Clé, and hadn't felt even the tiniest flicker of recognition when he saw Changbin's face for the first time.

Changbin bit his lip in obvious agitation, and Minho felt strangely sorry that he couldn't have been of more help. It was as though he was missing out on something rather obvious and concerning, and judging by the palpable desperation in Changbin's eyes, Minho's response hadn't been the desired one. 

Minho even considered lying for a moment to try and brighten Changbin up, but decided against it without second thought. 

"Just... Ah, I'm sorry, this-" Changbin broke eye-contact and ran a stressed hand through his hair, and Minho watched with apprehension. "This probably doesn't make sense, but you didn't recognise me at all? You've never seen me before, have you? And you don't know about my powers?" 

Minho leant back, feeling more and more lost as their conversation went on. Changbin's urgency was clear, and a startling difference to his cool atmosphere from earlier. After sending a quick glance towards the others to check that they hadn't woken, Minho brought his gaze back to Changbin and gave a sincerely apologetic shake of his head. 

"No, to all of that. I've never seen any of you before, and hadn't heard of your powers either," he said, hoping that Changbin believed him. He knew that it was a little more complicated than that, especially given his own abilities, and it felt unfair that there would always have to be a layer of distrust between them. Especially as a foreboding feeling was beginning to claw at Minho's heart, propelled on by the abstract words that he was hearing. "What is this all about?"

Changbin's eyes had glazed over slightly, and for a split-second Minho worried that he had used his abilities without realising. But he hadn't told a single lie, in fact, he hadn't been so blatantly truthful in years. 

If Changbin had heard the following question Minho asked, he completely ignored it, and instead offered another one of his own. "And Clé couldn't have known either? Yellow Wood haven't said anything about our group, or people with powers, or-"

"No, no they haven't!" Minho cut in, the concern revealing itself on his face through a frown. Changbin's attention finally seemed to focus entirely on him, and Minho looked on as the other's face fell in obvious disappointment. Pushing his own nervousness and suspicion from his mind, Minho forced his gaze to soften and spoke with a purposeful gentleness. "I know everything they do, trust me, and they've never mentioned you guys." 

Changbin nodded forlornly along to Minho's words, and settled back against the wall with a defeated sigh. Minho suddenly felt as though he was watching something that he shouldn't be, but didn't feel that it was right for him just to go back to sleeping when Changbin was very clearly in distress. However, he also knew that his comfort would hardly be appreciated, and he didn't have the faintest clue as to how to do anything to help anyway. 

So, he pursed his lips to keep himself from asking any further questions, and turned back to face the opposite side of the van. His eyes hovered just above Jeongin's head as he thought. 

He was experiencing an odd sense of guilt, despite being entirely truthful towards Changbin and relaying everything that he knew. Clé had been acting just as they always had, sending messages and visitors between each base, and Minho had done his usual errands where he would drill each passerby for information, and then feed them with lies regarding what his own division had been up to. 

With the way Changbin had spoken, he seemed threatened. It would explain why the group had come to the West, as Minho’s lack of action from the eyes of an outsider would easily have labelled him as the weakest link among the four divisions. Little did Changbin know (or perhaps he did, Minho couldn't be sure) Clé was currently at the weakest they had been in years.

Recently some strange, anonymous attacks had left the forces of the other three divisions in trouble. It had all started with some sneaky, efficient confrontations that would leave smaller groups dead, which had been a bit of a nuisance, but an occurrence that could have been put down to other low-laying gangs in their areas. Last month, however, Minho could recall meeting with the distressed leader of Yellow Wood, who had claimed that one of his most elite groups had been completely wiped out in a freakish inferno that had overtaken a music festival that they had been raiding. Yet what was most disturbing was how they had all been killed: armed and bunched together, all impaled and neatly dealt with. Their autopsies had been sent home to their families, and intercepted along the way. 

_An inferno. Impaled, neatly._

Minho's head snapped up with such force that Changbin looked towards him in alarm, but Minho didn't pay the other's questioning stare any heed. His thoughts were a tumbling mess, and he cursed himself for not realising the obvious connection sooner. 

Chan had set his base alight with power, while Seungmin had impaled two of Minho's men with an unmatched precision, using a dagger which he had somehow managed to levitate into the air. And they had, against all odds, managed to find him, suggesting that they had been watching him for enough time to feel confident enough to make their move. 

"It was you," he breathed, feeling an awed smile begin to work its way onto his lips. Changbin made a small noise of confusion from his side, and Minho was more than happy to face him, his eyes alight with an eagerness that seemed to unnerve the shorter quite a bit. "The fire at the festival must have been Chan, right? And then... and then Yellow Wood's members- they were all stabbed, so that must have been Seungmin?" 

Changbin caught up with Minho's line of thought very quickly, and a brief shadow passed over his expression before he nodded in resignation. "That was us, yes... but Seungmin didn't kill those people. I did." 

It was Changbin's first reference to his own abilities, and one that Minho took a careful mental note of. He had long-since realised that there was more to the other than met the eye, but the thought that Changbin had managed to single-handedly take down one of Yellow Wood's most elite groups just confirmed it. He was once against reminded of the danger he was in, and how his current position might be the very first in his entire life in which he would be unable to save himself if something went wrong. 

And it was... exhilarating.

Minho's eyes wandered across Changbin's face for a moment, before they both glanced away with a mutual agreement to spend the rest of the trip in silence. Enough had been said between the two of them, and Minho could practically sense Changbin's frustration towards himself at letting Minho see such a vulnerable side of him so soon after their first meeting. 

He found himself surprisingly content to be left in the quiet, even after such a confusing conversation. He had lost his initial apprehension upon hearing Changbin's words, and instead was merely interested in what had provoked him to ask such urgent questions in the first place. Whatever the reason, it wasn't because of Clé, and that meant that there could be even more out there which Minho didn't know about. 

Changbin didn't know about that either, and for once it felt like Minho really was on the same side as someone. 

He couldn't name exactly what had changed between the two, or how it happened, but when the texture beneath their wheels changed to a turbulent gravel, Changbin only gave him a simple 'we're here,' before turning his back and shuffling away to wake the others. He even shot Minho a tiny, fleeting smile that Minho didn't even have time to return, but spoke volumes all the same. 

Minho remained on the floor even after the van came to a halt, and an unnatural white light streamed into the back to give them the light that they had been missing for the entire journey. Jisung's blanket had somehow managed to stay warm, probably due to Minho's own body heat, and he felt almost sorrowful to part with the item that had given him such comfort throughout the unidentifiable number of hours they had spent travelling. 

His muscles ached - the blanket hadn't quite been able to prevent that - and Minho related greatly to the groan of protest which left Jisung from the other side of the van. He laced his fingers together and stretched his arms out in front of him, before shrugging the blanket from his shoulders and letting it fall to the ground with a dull thud. 

Changbin had crossed over to the back doors, and waited for a dramatic moment before throwing one open and letting more light stream in. Jisung whined even more loudly at that, while Jeongin muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'sleep here tonight.' Minho doubted that it was still the night, and rather had crossed into early morning, but forced himself to his feet despite every nerve in his body desperately trying to convince him not to do just that. 

He carefully flattened the few strands of hair which had stood up out of place, and gave his cheek a small slap to try and bring his thoughts back up to speed. It had been startling easy to lull himself into a sleep-like state with the rhythmic rocking of the vehicle, and the warmth of the blanket wrapped around his shoulders. For just a little while, he had been able to relax and recuperate, but he knew that whatever was about to happen would be both vital for him and the group of six who had (somewhat unwillingly) taken him in. 

His eyes travelled to Seungmin, who had completely scrapped the beanie, and was beginning to take down the mound of cases that were piled up against the closed door. Minho could faintly hear Chan's voice outside, along with that of another who he didn't recognise, presumably the remaining member he was yet to meet. 

He refocused his hearing on the laboured sigh that left Seungmin, and hesitated momentarily before making his way over to where the other was glaring down at the pile. A couple of cases were already draped over his arms, but there were too many for him to be able to carry alone, so Minho did what any decent person would in such a situation. 

"Would you like some help?" 

Seungmin glanced up, his features slackening in surprise as he took in Minho's offer. Then, with a small nod of acceptance, he looked back to the pile and gestured towards three cases lying just to the side. 

"Can you take those? Make sure you don't drop them," he added, causing Minho to nod and cross over to the singled-out cases. 

They were surprisingly heavy, but he managed to lift them all without too much trouble. Reminding himself of Seungmin's request to be gentle with them, he shouldered one with care and left the other two to hang on his forearms. He didn't ask what was inside - their weight and apparently fragility left him with a few guesses - and waited a little awkwardly as the others busied themselves with picking up other boxes and cases. He looked away when Changbin walked past with a large array of glinting weaponry. 

When he had been in his base, and even stretching out to his neighbourhood, it was easier to feel in control. However, now that he had managed to land himself in an unknown area with a group of strangers, he was beginning to realise just how out of his depth he was. It had been easy enough for him to leap into unfamiliar territory when he was bored out of his mind, but despite the excitement of it all, he did realise that there was still a lot to be weary of. 

So, he kept his head down, and followed silently when Seungmin nodded in the direction of the opened door. 

If he had been hoping for any clue as to where they were, Minho was left disappointed. Chan had parked the van in what appeared to be a garage of sorts, although it was underwhelmingly empty. Only a few spare tyres rested in one corner, and it had a large gate that must have already been closed by one of the others. 

Minho blinked in response to the brightness of the artificial lighting, as he couldn't raise a hand to shield his eyes with the cases on his arms. His gaze travelled from his surroundings to Seungmin, who had wordlessly left his side and was walking towards a door on the other side of the room. With one final glance over his shoulder at the van, which still held Changbin, Jisung and Jeongin, he trailed after Seungmin and tried not to think about just how lost he felt. 

Chan was already waiting, with another person at his side who Minho didn't recognise. Minho's eyes hovered curiously on the pair of sunglasses that the stranger was wearing, and wondered whether the devices in his ears were at all related to the ones he had seen on Changbin. Even though he couldn't tell where the other was looking, Minho felt a heavy gaze on his body as he joined the small group, and looked up to meet the eyes that he knew were watching him from behind the darkened shades. 

"Minho, this is Hyunjin," Chan said, patting Hyunjin's back with a brotherly familiarity. Hyunjin's lips thinned into a hesitant smile, and he offered Minho a small nod of greeting. Minho returned it, but didn't say anything, as he still wasn't quite sure where he stood with any member of the group. He didn't want to mess up his chances before he had even seen their 'base,' as Chan had called it. 

Minho couldn't deny that he felt eager towards the prospect of that; from what he had seen so far, they had rather good equipment, so his expectations had been set high. 

There was a decisive slam behind him, and he looked back to see the remaining three making their own way over. Jeongin and Jisung were both holding onto cases similar to the ones Minho and Seungmin were carrying, while Changbin had the unnervingly vast collection of weapons. Minho wasn't quite sure why they felt they needed so much, and frankly was quite relieved that they had entered his study with so little. The several sharpened edges of daggers were making him feel a little nauseous, although perhaps that was just his tiredness beginning to kick in. 

Chan took part of the load from Changbin, while Hyunjin moved to open the door they had been hovering beside. Seungmin placed himself in front of Minho before they filed through, a weighted silence settling over their group, and Jeongin slipped in behind him. 

Minho once again felt as though he was an unwelcome intruder preventing them from having the conversation they wanted to, and he carefully controlled his expression so as not to let any of his unease show. 

They passed out into a much wider location, giving Seungmin the room to step to the side and branch out. Minho distracted himself by observing the run-down, fairly disheartening area in front of him, and couldn't help but grimace in disappointment. He hadn't been expecting anything too luxurious, but he had at least hoped they would have beds to sleep on, as opposed to the dusted couches that looked one person away from collapsing in on themselves. 

He had anticipated that if he was to leave the group, it would be because their objectives didn't line up or they had a disagreement of sorts. Yet, as he stared upon the living conditions he would have to resign himself to, he realised that it might be something far more mundane. It was very underwhelming, and Minho's shoulders fell, causing one of the cases to slide down a few inches. 

"Come on, then." An impatient voice brought his attention away from the room, and he glanced at Seungmin, not bothering to hide his downcast expression. For a fleeting moment, the corners of Seungmin's lips twitched up in amusement, before he raised a case-laden arm to point towards the others. Minho hadn't even noticed they had departed, and were now standing in front of yet another door. "You're not the only one who uses deception." 

Fighting his unwelcome flush of embarrassment, Minho followed Seungmin towards the rest of the group. They had fallen into a hushed conversation which cut off promptly at his arrival, causing Minho to swallow harshly, before Hyunjin once again moved to open the door. 

Minho avoided all eye-contact as he entered after Seungmin, barely raising his gaze to take in the latest location he had found himself in. It was hardly an impressive one, and actually quite restrictive due to just how small it was. 

Returning his eyes to the floor, Minho pressed himself to the back wall as all seven of them struggled to fit inside. Carrying so much didn't do anything to help, and Minho readjusted his grip on one of the cases as Changbin brushed past and almost caused him to lose hold of it. If Minho was going to leave, he would leave of his own accord, not because Changbin's clumsiness caused him to be kicked out for dropping one of the cases that Seungmin had specifically told him to be careful with. 

The only small respite was that Chan seemed to have used his powers to cool the atmosphere. Minho couldn't have imagined how stuffy and heated it would have grown with them all cramped into such a small place, and was about to ask just why they had shut themselves in such a tiny room, when the room gave a sudden lurch. 

And then they began to move. 

Minho realised what was happening very quickly, and couldn't resist leaning over and murmuring to Seungmin, "Had to one up me by using a lift instead of stairs, huh?" 

Seungmin gave that same half-smile of amusement, and Minho felt rather proud that he had managed to get an arguably positive reaction from the other. He straightened his back, feeling the warmth of genuine relief that the extremely basic area from above hadn't really been all their base had to offer. He just didn't know what to expect at all, despite spending most of the journey trying to piece together more unknowns about the group, he was unable to get anything more than what he already knew. 

The descent was rather short, albeit a little jerky, and Minho was grateful when they came to a stop. Those in front of him moved out immediately, and Minho stepped forwards into what he knew must be their true base. 

He couldn't deny that it was rather impressive. 

The lift had opened out into an extensive space that stretched quite a distance. Bright lights were neatly inserted into the ceiling, and had flickered on automatically at their arrival, perfectly illuminating the contents below them. To the left there was a kitchen-styled area, with appliances that Minho hadn't seen or used in well over three years, along with some tables and chairs presumably to be used for eating. On the other side, a set of couches were neatly arranged around a carpeted section of flooring. Minho's eyes travelled to the television that rested on a small coffee table, yet another device that he hadn't used in quite a while. 

It had a surprisingly homely air to it, although the bare and characterless grey walls were a bit of a dampener. _Mint green,_ Minho thought, _they would look better in mint green._

"Just leave everything here; we'll deal with unpacking in the morning," Chan said, nodding to the left wall adjacent to the lift. Minho waited for the others to move first, then joined them in gently sliding the cases from his arms and placing them on the ground. He still wasn't sure what was inside of them, but bit back his curiosity as Chan clapped his hands together in a decisive gesture. "Right then. Minho, I'd quite like to have a word... the rest of you can go to bed, if you want. I know it's late, and you must be tired." 

The cheerfulness of Chan's tone greatly contrasted the overall exhausted mood of the group. Some of them - especially Jeongin and Jisung - looked as though they were about to fall asleep where they stood, but to their credit they shook their heads stubbornly in response to Chan's preposition. 

It appeared that every one of them would hear whatever Minho had to say, and he wasn't quite sure how to feel about that.

Chan gave the others a concerned yet endeared grin, then turned to survey the room. "I say we just just take the couches. This doesn't have to be too formal." 

Minho didn't quite agree, as Chan oddly seemed to have completely changed his mannerism from the tense, overprotective figure who had warned Minho against getting too close to his members, to ignoring the heightened stakes of whatever it was they were doing. Minho still wasn't sure about what that was, but he knew that it would be at least a little 'formal.' 

_Or maybe you're the one who's mistaken here,_ a small voice whispered in his mind. _Not everything is some business deal, you know?_

He gave his head a subtle shake as the group began to move towards the couches, and he trailed behind at a certain distance, listening to the brief conversation that was struck up between the three in front of him. 

"I really need to just sit on something comfortable," Changbin grumbled, rolling his shoulders as he angled his face meaningfully at Jisung. "Because _someone_ gave a blanket to the new guy instead of me." 

Before Jisung could complain, as Minho was sure he would judging by the indignant gasp that left his lips, Jeongin joined in with a humourful laugh. "Yeah, Sungie. Just because you thought he looked really cool sitting at his desk like that, doesn't mean you have to suck up to him so soon." 

Minho couldn't hold in a snort of amusement, and pursed his lips together to try and keep from smiling when Jisung turned around to shoot him a look of dismay. Calming his expression, Minho looked very pointedly towards the lifeless screen of the television to appear as unbothered as he could, and Jisung whipped around to the others once again. 

While his voice was hushed, Minho was able to hear his following words clearly. "Come on, guys. We don't even know if he's going to stick around or not." 

Within a second, Minho's fleeting cheerfulness vanished to be replaced by the same tired throbbing. He couldn't quite name what he was feeling, and suddenly was filled with such exhaustion that he didn't even try to identify the emotion that coursed through him as he took one of the lone armchairs gathered in the semi-circle. 

He relaxed into the cushions behind him, but they did little to soothe the heaviness tugging down at every ounce of his body. The true finality of what had happened was beginning to settle in on him, and was leaving him feeling utterly defeated. He had spent years building up the Western division of the gang, infiltrating himself and gathering control day by day, only to have it all ripped away from him. Changbin's words, though carelessly said, echoed in his mind. 'You weren't doing it fast enough.' They were true, and Minho found himself growing more depressed as he realised that. 

And now, he was amongst the only people in the world who had any chance of understanding him. Yet it wasn't what Minho would have dreamed of - not that he ever had - and he was only left feeling just as distant as before. They might also have abilities of their own, even if Minho wasn't sure of what they all were just yet, it wasn't simply Minho's power that set him aside from everyone else. No, it was what his power _could do_. 

"So, uh..." Chan spoke up from the couch he was sharing with Jeongin, and the lingering conversations around the group ended very promptly. "Welcome to our home." 

Minho raised his eyes to take one more look around, just to show that he was at least somewhat interested in what Chan was saying. Really, he just wanted to cut to the main purpose of their discussion, so when Chan let the group fall into an uneasy silence, Minho didn't hesitate before rushing them on. 

"We can continue from where we left off, if you'd like." He looked momentarily to Changbin and Seungmin, before returning his gaze to Chan, who had faltered and was watching Minho with uncertainty. "You came looking for me, so you can ask everything you want to first." 

If Chan was surprised by Minho's words, he didn't show it. Minho was aware of the stares of the others - especially Jisung's, who was blinking at him owlishly - but forced his stare to remain on Chan alone. The blond's dark eyes lingered on Minho's for a few seconds longer, and he appeared to deduce that Minho was hardly in the mood for pleasantries at that point, given the way his friendly smile slipped from his lips. He cleared his throat and clasped his hands together as he leaned forwards, then fixed Minho under the searching gaze from their first meeting hours ago. 

"Alright. Can you tell us exactly what it is you can do?" 

Minho had been interrogated plenty of times in his life, and he had lied through every single one of them. Whether it was the mundane questioning of his father after a day of school, or the more pressured ones of his life as a part of Clé, each had been just as easy for him. However, surrounded by people who were more like him than anyone had ever been before, and his uncertain path once again resting in his control, Minho decided that, for once, he would be entirely truthful. 

"Any lie that I speak will become the truth to whoever hears it," he said slowly, watching Chan's expression carefully for any immediate reaction. When he didn't get one, he continued, "I can't control it, in that nothing I say would ever be unbelievable to anyone who hears it. The only thing I can dictate is who I'm directing it towards, hence why you three can remember everything that happened earlier tonight, while that policeman should have forgotten it all by now.

"But honestly, it's a bit blurry... I can't say that I understand it well. It's hard to test things out when your recipients are effectively mind-controlled. Sometimes I'm not sure where the boundaries lie: whether my lies will reach out to someone without myself willing them to. All I know for certain, really, is that there's no way for me to undo it once it's happened." 

His words brought on a stream of memories that he had kept stored away for so long, and Minho’s fingers twitched at the sheer force of them. 

_The salty sting of tears running down his cheeks, a familiar voice raised in a mixture of panic and anger, his fists desperately gripping the shirt of the man as he begged, 'please, please remember me-'_

"How did you find out about them?" 

Minho straightened up at Seungmin's voice, gladly returning his consciousness to the current moment. He hadn't been expecting any of the others to speak, given Chan still retained his invisible aura of authority, but he focused his attention on Seungmin's question to keep his thoughts from straying to a place he didn't want them to go. 

"I can't place the exact moment they set in, or if I've just had them my whole life... But the first time I realised something unusual was when I was cornered on my way home from school when I was eight." His eyes dropped to the carpet resting between them all as he spoke, and he reiterated the story with calmness. "A group of gang members cornered me- not from Clé, from the other one that fell apart just before I was born... They were absolutely insane, I could tell, and threatened to kill me if I didn't tell them where my father was." 

Jisung gasped audibly, but Minho didn't want any pity. He carried on, feeling his tone grow bitter. "I told them that I didn't have a father. I was terrified and wasn't thinking straight, and my response was just so stupid that I knew something was wrong when they believed me without hesitation.

"As soon as I got home, I reported it to my father, and he seemed... distressed. I'm not sure why, and I still don't know to this day... Perhaps I should have worked harder to get it out of him, but I was a little preoccupied with my discovery to think too much into it at the time." 

"What was your discovery?" Jeongin asked, shuffling forwards so that he rested on the edge of his seat. He was obviously listening to everything that left Minho's mouth with clear interest, his previous tiredness seeming to have been forgotten for a short while. 

Minho leant back and gestured towards himself with an unenthusiastic finger. "That I could make people believe any lie I told them. It felt amazing for me at the time, and I loved exploring the new abilities I found I had. The single downside is that the rule only applies to lies, so if I really am being truthful, someone could think I'm lying."

"God, these mind-games again," Changbin muttered, giving a small shake of his head. 

A humourless smile worked its way onto Minho's face, and he shrugged nonchalantly. "It was quite enjoyable to test things out. I got to play around with my friends a bit, convincing them that ghosts were real and whatnot. It was funny, for a while."

Until Minho had realised just how much power he held, and how easy it was for him to change the course of someone's life with nothing more than a lie. Ever since maturity had settled into him during his adolescence, he began to acknowledge just what his abilities meant, both for himself and for those around him. 

Eventually he had simply decided that no one deserved to live in a world that was as filled with lies as his own, and so had distanced himself from them all. 

Other than his father. 

"So how did you end up with Clé?" Chan asked, and Minho took in a deep breath. He had resigned himself to giving all of the information he had, as there was not much to lose at that point, and he was just so _tired_ of lying. 

"Well, while I never asked my father exactly why those gang members had attacked me when I was younger, I knew what it meant: he was involved with a bad crowd, or at least had been at some point." Minho frowned, threading his fingers together on his lap. "And I guessed that, while their group wasn't a threat anymore, there were others that were. So, just after I turned eighteen, I left my life behind and got myself involved with Clé. I wasn't really sure what I was doing back then, but maybe you were right. Maybe I was trying to take them down, as you said." 

Minho still couldn't quite explain what had possessed him to leave home so spontaneously. One night he had just realised the effect his ability had on every one of his relationships, and hadn't been willing to let himself taint the people he loved any longer. It had never been about Clé, or his own moral compass, but merely his own destructive beliefs. 

"And what happened to your father?" Chan questioned softly. Something in his tone made Minho believe that Chan already knew the answer, and so he raised his head to meet the eyes of the blond as he responded. 

"As far as that man is concerned, he isn't a father." 

Chan seemed to have been hoping that his suspicions were wrong, because as soon as Minho's words filled the silence of the room, his face contorted into a grimace of so much pity that Minho wanted nothing more than to hide away. A soft, 'oh,' left Chan's lips, and Minho held their eye-contact with a glare that he hoped conveyed his thoughts. 

_Don't. Don't pity me for a decision I made._

"What is it?" Jisung hissed to Changbin, who had watched the entire exchange with a bemused tilt of his head. Jeongin appeared just as inquisitive as before, although he seemed to share the confusion of the other two. Hyunjin's expression was unreadable due to his glasses, but Seungmin had straightened his back as if he had been hit with a sudden chill. 

"You made him forget you, didn't you?" The brunet prompted, though it wasn't phrased like a question. Minho finally drew his eyes away from Chan, and met Seungmin's stunned gaze. 

_"You never had a son."_

"It's quite astonishing, really," Minho mused aloud, his voice coated with a silky thoughtfulness. He rubbed his thumbs over his palms, then diverted his eyes to the ground. "Five words was all it took to erase almost eighteen years of memories. And no number of words will ever bring them back, because no matter what I try to say, it will be the truth and he won't believe it, right?" 

He trailed off with a small laugh, lowering his head for a moment to gather his emotions. The memories of his father still brought back immeasurable amounts of pain, and while they were agonising, they also served as a cruel reminder regarding just why Minho had to distance himself. 

He was like a single drop of ink, spreading out and tainting any spotless parchment he happened to land himself on. 

The others had fallen into a silence, and he didn't look at any of them as he continued with a purposeful finality to his tone. "I then got myself into the Western division of Clé. It was fairly easy for me to create a persona for myself amongst the members, and very quickly I managed to work my way into one of the highest positions. It was easy to get control from there. 

"The other divisions provided more of a problem. I have to be careful, you see, because if my lies don't match up then it can be quite problematic. To get a hold of all three of the others, I would need them all together at once, and that was what caused me so much trouble. Why I 'wasn't doing it fast enough,' you could say." 

He finally raised his head to look towards Changbin, who immediately glanced away with obvious guilt on his face. Minho despised it all; their pity was the last thing he wanted, and it was so prominent in all of their expressions that it made him feel sick. He didn't deserve sympathy for his own choices, which had been completely unprovoked. No one had forced him to do what he had - it had been done of his own will, and he had since faced the consequences for it. 

That was that. 

"I would be happy to give you any more information about Clé, although I sense that now might not quite be the time..." His attention had been drawn to Jeongin, who had let out a wide yawn despite the weighted atmosphere. "I've kept you up for long enough now." 

His words registered first to Chan, who blinked in surprise. Fortunately, the remorse left his face to be replaced by a sheepish grimace, and he gave Minho a look of apology. 

"Wouldn't you like to know more about us? We've done nothing but drill you for information ever since meeting you, and I think it's about time you at least got to do the same..." 

Minho felt rather endeared by that, but when he caught sight of Jisung barely stifling a yawn behind his hand, he gave a nod of confirmation. "It's alright, really. I hope you have sufficient knowledge now to trust me, at least for long enough to let me stay the night..." He hesitated, suddenly feeling a nervousness speed his heartrate. "If that's alright?" 

Chan's mouth hung open for a split-second, before he nodded with such vigor that Minho wondered how he didn't look dizzy. "Yeah, yeah of course, um... Bin, if you could move in with Sungie tonight, Minho can sleep in my-" 

"Oh, come on," Jisung interrupted, his words lightly slurring together with sleepiness. It was rather sweet, but Minho didn't focus on that too much. "Binnie's already had to move rooms once - no offence, Hyunjin - so it'd be cruel for him to do it again. Minho can just stay with me, that's the easiest solution." 

Despite his friendlier approach recently, Chan stiffened noticeably at Jisung's words. Minho bit down on his lip, unsurprised that he still didn't have the unconditional trust of any of the group’s members (apart from Jisung, apparently.) He was about to voice that he could simply sleep on one of the couches in the room they were currently residing in, despite how desperately his body wished for a proper bed, when Chan gave a small huff of resignation. 

"Alright, that's fine..." He ran a hand through his curls, his eyes flitting to Minho for a moment, before he rose to his feet. "Let's get to bed, then. There's a lot we need to do, and it's been one heck of a day." 

Minho could firmly agree with that. 

He peeled himself from the cushions, then smoothed out his jacket. He needed a change of clothes too; his current outfit smelled horrifyingly of burnt paint and blood, and Minho wanted to be rid of it. He scrunched his nose in disgust, but didn't speak his concerns as the others began to file out of the area. A few gazes, both curious and sympathetic, were sent his way, but he pointedly ignored all of them and fell into step a little way behind the group as they began to move away from the couches. 

Their conversations were muffled to him as he walked, his attention straying to his surroundings instead. He was being led towards a crossroad of corridors, all leading off either to the left or right, and felt his curiosity heighten at their winding routes. He would have a lot of exploring to do- if he stayed, that was. He still wasn't certain of what he wanted to do in the long-term, as currently his mind was just focused on the idea of getting some sleep and escaping the unwanted memories which refused to leave his mind. 

He sincerely hoped that his dreams wouldn't be too vivid that night. 

There was a sudden presence at his side as they turned right, and Minho spared a quick glance up at Hyunjin. He hadn't talked to the taller at all yet, and while the sunglasses and earpieces left quite an impression, he didn't know much about the other at all. He didn't have any leads as to what his ability might be, although he supposed it was something to do with his accessories. 

For a moment he wondered whether Hyunjin was simply walking with him out of friendliness, but he was proven wrong not a second later. 

"I'll be listening out tonight," Hyunjin said quietly, and Minho looked at him once again. He could just about make out the shape of Hyunjin's eyes from the side, but his expression had been cooled into an emotionless one as he stared straight ahead. "Just so you know. I'll hear whatever you say to Jisung." 

Minho breathed in deeply, then returned his gaze to the floor with a rueful shake of his head. At least Hyunjin wasn't giving him the same woeful looks of pity that the others had, and he was almost grateful to be regarded with the all-too-familiar suspicion that he had grown used to over the years. Hyunjin also had revealed part of his power, whether he realised it or not, and Minho felt a smirk play at his lips. 

"Then I'll catch both of you in my web." 

Hyunjin's head snapped towards him, and Minho widened his grin. He appeared playful, but let a certain challenging glint light up his eyes as Hyunjin came to a stop outside of a door nestled into the concrete walls of the hallway. The dark shades still meant he couldn't hazard much of a guess as to what Hyunjin was thinking, but he was pleasantly surprised to see the other's lips twist into an equally daring smile. 

After a second's pause, Hyunjin pushed open the door and stepped into his room. A chorus of goodnight's came from the group ahead, and Hyunjin returned them compassionately before letting the door close behind him. 

Minho hovered for a moment longer, before turning and continuing to follow the others down the hallway. He felt an odd sense of amusement at the interaction, and wasn't quite sure why. Hyunjin didn't seem to be scared of him, at least, and that was surprising enough in itself. 

"This is us!" 

Jisung's voice broke Minho out of his thoughts, and he glanced up to see Jisung standing in front of a similarly plain door. There was a strange emotion in Jisung's eyes that Minho couldn't place, and he didn't have time to think much into it before Jisung was turning to the others and waving a farewell to them. 

Minho was once again regarded with a couple of weighted stares as he stepped through the doorway. A single goodnight was sent after him from Chan, and he murmured a quiet one in return before he heard the door close. 

And with that, they were alone. 

The room was fairly simple, and had the same dull walls as the rest of the base. Two beds rested on each side, with a single table and lamp placed on its surface to provide a glowing yellow light. To perfectly complete the symmetry, a pair of wardrobes sat in the opposite corners, while another door rested in between them. 

Jisung hovered beside the door for a moment, and Minho could feel the nervousness radiating from him as he padded over to one of the beds. It was unmade, the covers strewn messily over its mattress, and there was a guitar propped up beside its foot. Minho's eyes lingered on it with interest for a moment, before his attention was captured by Jisung throwing a simple black T-shirt and baggy shorts in his direction. 

He caught them with a bit of a delayed reaction, then glanced up questioningly as Jisung fisted his hands awkwardly at his sides. 

"Um... They're for you. I'm guessing you don't want to sleep in that." His eyes travelled to Minho's jacket and jeans, which were looking rather worse for wear. Minho brought the bundle of clothes closer to his chest, giving Jisung a small nod of gratitude. 

They stood in a prolonged silence for several more seconds, and Minho was genuinely beginning to grow concerned that Jisung would combust if they didn't say anything. 

"Is there a bathroom?" He inquired finally, deciding to take mercy on the poor, anxious individual in front of him. Jisung jumped at his question, then pointed at the door opposite with a frantic finger. 

"It's there!" 

Minho nodded again, fighting back an amused smirk towards the other's jitteriness. He breezed past without another comment, and shut himself in the bathroom with a small sigh of relief, letting himself lean back against the door. 

Since when had socialising with someone become so hard?

Minho decided to put it down to his tiredness, and promptly began to get to work with cleaning up. There was a shower in the corner of the bathroom, which he was quick to make use of, and furiously tried to be rid of the clinging scent of death that clung to him. 

It felt as though days had passed since he had been sat at his desk in his office, watching as three intriguing strangers were brought right into the center of his base. He could still remember every detail and every emotion he had experienced, yet somehow it was as though that had all happened to a different person. Minho couldn't be sure of what had changed, but there was so much uncertainty in his mind that just taking a moment to stand alone and listen to the steady patter of the shower's water was indescribably soothing to him. 

Eventually, he retreated from the stream and changed into the clothing that Jisung had given him. They were a tiny bit too small, but not uncomfortably so, and were much better than his jacket so he didn't mind too much. It was a little unnerving at first to be completely surrounded by a scent that wasn't his own, but the sweet aroma of vanilla was immeasurably better than burnt flesh. 

He paused in front of the mirror, his hand hovering over the door handle. Other than the uncharacteristic rings beneath his eyes, the person staring back at Minho didn't look much different than he had earlier that morning. Stray droplets of water slid down his hair, and he had a towel in his grip to lay on his pillow to avoid soaking it during the night. 

Minho paused as a gentle sound reached his ears from the other side of the door, and tilted his head towards the noise. It held yet another familiarity that reminded him of his life from before Clé. 

_A guitar._

Feeling the chords striking a calmness within him, Minho swung open the door and stepped into the warm lighting of the room. 

Jisung was sitting on his bed, his back leant against the wall and his guitar pressed against his chest. He had changed into more comfortable clothes as well, Minho realised. His eyes were fixed ahead of him as his fingers absentmindedly strummed at the strings, producing notes that sounded far too beautiful to have been created with such a lack of concentration. 

Minho pushed himself into movement, having faltered in the doorway, and crossed over to the unclaimed bed. He laid the towel over his pillow, smoothing down the edges carefully, and tried to ignore the weight of the gaze on his back as he worked. 

"Minho?" 

Making a small noise of acknowledgement, Minho peeled back the blankets and shuffled beneath them. He hoped that Jisung would pick up on his hint that he didn't want to talk, but his wish went unheard, as the sweet song of the guitar trailed off and left the pair in silence. 

"Can I ask you something?" 

Jisung appeared to have lost his shyness from before, and Minho rolled over in bed to face him as it became obvious that they weren't going to rest just yet. He placed one hand beneath his head and looked expectantly up at Jisung, who was just in the process of securing his guitar back in position at the foot of his bed. 

Once he was finished, Jisung shuffled away and tucked himself beneath his own blankets, though he manoeuvred himself into a similar position so that he could look out across the room. Their eyes met, and Minho was shocked by the sincerity in Jisung's as he spoke. 

"If you do leave tomorrow, or the day after, or a week or... Well, if you ever decide to leave..." Jisung trailed off for a moment, then continued with a grounding certainty. "Can you promise that you'll never make us forget you?" 

Minho was stunned into silence. He parted his lips, but no sound came out, and he simply watched on with wide eyes as Jisung carried on to destroy all assumptions he had made about the other. 

"It's just... I mean, I know that if you're gone you'll feel like you're alone again, but it won't quite be the same, you know?" Jisung's eyes shone with pure empathy as he maintained eye-contact, and Minho couldn't have broken it even if he had forcibly turned his head away. "Because at least we'll have the memory of you, and you'll know the burden of having powers like ours isn't just yours to carry. I know what that feels like, and it really sucks." 

It was a promise that Minho knew he couldn't keep, but for some reason unknown to him, he couldn't find it in himself to dismiss Jisung's request. Instead, he shuffled beneath the covers to try to regain his composure, and bit down on his lower lip as he fought for a response. Jisung was staring at him with such incredible compassion that Minho didn't quite know what to do with it, let alone what to say. 

Eventually, he decided on making Jisung aware of what he was in for, as there was an undeniable friendliness to the other's words. 

"Do you know why I don't let myself get close to anyone?" He asked quietly, earning a small 'no,' from Jisung. "It's because, eventually, it'll just settle in on you. With my powers, it's impossible for you to know where I really stand. Every lie I tell becomes the truth for you, and if you're not automatically forced to believe it, you know that I'm speaking the truth anyway. With so much honestly, no relationship could really last, even if you do have abilities of your own. We're not the same." 

He turned over, facing the characterless wall on his other side. Immediately he missed the warm light from Jisung's bedside lamp, and the sincerity to his gaze, but fought back the impulse to look over his shoulder, even when the light turned off and bathed the room in darkness. 

"I don't think that's just for you to decide..." Jisung's voice was so quiet it was almost inaudible, but his words cut through Minho's consciousness with such force that he might as well have shouted them. "That might be how you feel, but bonds go both ways... Maybe you should just give it a shot. I can be an experiment for you, if you want." 

Minho left them in silence for so long that Jisung must have fallen asleep, but he lay awake for a while after, even through the tiredness that gripped him. 

"I don't think I'd mind that too much," he murmured into the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I worked so hard to get this chapter out tonight, and it was 100% worth it because I have exams for the next two weeks and am going to be drowning in work and needed to get this out before- 
> 
> But omg, it's Minho, it's he, he's here! What better way is there to introduce a new character than to have an entire chapter (and the longest one so far no less) in their POV? ;3 In all seriousness though, this was one of my favourites to write. Minho’s perspective has been something very different and refreshing, and his powers are so interesting to explore. He’s has been someone I've worked really hard on in planning, so I'm super excited to see what you guys think of him in what's going to come! For now though, there are still quite a few unknowns about him, including how he's going to get close with the group when there's still a bit of tension between them all... 
> 
> I hope that you enjoyed this chapter (because sadly it may be the last one for a couple of weeks T-T...) Thank you so much for reading, and for all of the lovely comments! They make me so so happy :D
> 
> And please feel free to contact me on Twitter @beanwillstay
> 
> <3


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